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AMMAN — A ceremony marking the handover of infrastructure provided by Canada to the Public Security Department (PSD) and the Syrian Refugee Affairs Department was held at the Azraq Refugee Camp on Wednesday, according to an embassy statement.

Canada’s Ambassador to Jordan Bruno Saccomani said the project seeks to assist the country in managing the influx of Syrian refugees, commending PSD personnel for their efforts in ensuring the safety and security of camp residents.

Canada’s support for the camp includes building and furnishing the PSD Joint Operations Centre and other facilities, according to Saccomani.

So far, the Canadian government has provided $7.5 million in material support to both Azraq and Zaatari refugee camps, the statement added.

AMMAN — General Supplies Department (GSD) Director General Ahmad Mashaqbah on Wednesday signed a document with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for the establishment of an electronic procurement project at a cost of $8.5 million.

The project aims at upgrading the GSD and the government’s procurement procedures to become more efficient, simple and cost effective.

AMMAN — Al Rai Centre for Studies, in cooperation with the US Bridgewater State University, will host a seminar on international education and building bridges between cultures on Thursday, according to a statement released by the centre.

Participants at the seminar — who include representatives of the university, lawmakers, local university presidents and education experts — will discuss creating a framework for cooperation in education and research to build bridges between cultures and capitalise on shared aspects.

Al Rai Centre for Studies has signed an agreement with the US university to develop a joint action plan for implementing research and surveys and organising seminars and roundtable discussions.

AMMAN — Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh on Wednesday met with UNDP Resident Representative and Humanitarian Coordinator in Jordan Edward Kallon, and congratulated him on his appointment in the Kingdom.

Tarawneh briefed Kallon on the humanitarian services the Kingdom offers for Syrian refugees and the burdens Jordan is shouldering despite its limited sources.

The UN envoy praised Jordan’s efforts in enhancing peace and stability in the region.

AMMAN — Three journalists will be vying for Jordan Press Association (JPA) presidency in the elections slated for Friday, JPA Director Fakhri Abu Hamda said Wednesday.

Current JPA president Tareq Momani, Nabil Ghzawi of Ad Dustour and Rakan Saaideh of Al Rai have registered to run for President.

A total of 21 other journalists have registered to run for the 10-member council, Abu Hamda added.

The deadline for registration was Tuesday, and the elections will be held at the Royal Cultural Centre, he said.

The results are expected to be announced Friday night.

Of the association’s 1,058 members, 832 have paid their fees, thus becoming eligible to vote.

The association was established in 1953.

AMMAN — HRH Princess Basma, president of the National Goodwill Campaign’s higher committee, on Wednesday honoured the campaign’s sponsors and donors for the past year.

At an official ceremony, Abdul Salam Abbadi, deputy president of the higher committee, said the campaign, launched more than 22 years ago, has become a national institution that provides assistance for the needy across the country.

Over the past year, the campaign carried out 19 field visits, while the number of the beneficiaries reached 18,069.

AMMAN — The Jordanian peacekeeping contingent in Côte d’Ivoire on Tuesday dealt with a fire truck accident in Obasso.

The peacekeepers took the injured to nearby hospitals for treatment.

CAIRO — A joint Jordanian-Egyptian tourist package will be launched in June to promote “the holy family journey”, Egyptian Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou announced on Wednesday.

At a press conference attended by a delegation of Jordanian tour agencies, Zaazou said the two countries will cooperate to benefit from Christian sites in the Kingdom, adding that a direct flight from Amman to Hurghada will also be launched to facilitate tourist travel.

The Jordanian delegates are in Egypt to participate in a joint workshop for representative of both countries’ tourism sectors that will continue until April 27.

AMMAN — HH Prince Mired, the newly appointed president of the Higher Council for the Affairs of Persons with Disabilities (HCD), said on Wednesday he will build on the work that HRH Prince Raad started while he was president of the council.

As part of his new responsibilities, which he will assume on Thursday, Prince Mired said he will initially focus on integrating people with disabilities in society, and maintaining the efficient partnership that has been established between the HCD and various establishments.

AMMAN — HRH Princess Sumaya, chairperson of the Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT) board of trustees, on Wednesday said around 60 per cent of job seekers in Jordan are under 25 years of age.

Speaking at a ceremony to launch a Cisco initiative to employ university graduates, the princess underlined the importance of providing training to new graduates to enable them to find suitable jobs.

She noted that the initiative seeks to link ICT companies and banks that recruit network engineers with Cisco networking academies across Jordan.

PSUT is a strategic partner with Cisco Jordan, which holds training courses on network engineering and information security.