US committed to Jordan over the long term

US Ambassador to Jordan Stuart Jones said that the US government is committed to Jordan over the long term and to working with His Majesty King Abdullah II to strengthen the partnership that works for both sides. In a speech on the Jordanian-US Partnership, delivered in a meeting organized by the Amman Philadelphia Rotary Club, Jones said that the US is proud of the partnership that encompasses security, assistance, trade and people to people exchange, to which Rotary is an important contributor. He praised Jordanian efforts in addressing the ongoing Syrian crisis. "We are grateful for Jordan’s generosity in receiving now more than 150.000 displaced people fleeing from the violence in Syria. At a time of scarcity in Jordan, you have welcomed these refugees and given them safe haven," he added. The envoy expressed his country’s willingness to support Jordan in this time of crisis. "We are the largest contributor to the humanitarian response in the region. We have provided more than $85 million in assistance to UNHCR and other UN partners to address this urgent matter. Much of that money has been directed to Jordan," he said. He also pointed the U.S. aid provided for the Kingdom in fields of health, education and trade, saying that the Jordan-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA), signed in 2000 and brought into full effect in 2010, has brought enormous benefits for both countries with a 600% trade increase. "The US is Jordan’s biggest export market buying three times the amount of exports to the European Union countries combined. The Jordanian government estimates that the FTA has created more than 50,000 jobs over the past decade," he added. The Ambassador said that Jordanian and American experts agree that Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are the universal engine of economic growth as they generate 70% of the Jordanian jobs, account for 40% of the GDP and produce 45% of national exports. "We can do that by helping Jordanian businessmen gain access to credit, technology and expertise and by creating more private sector jobs; especially outside of Amman," he explained. The envoy also noted the Jordanian government’s agreement with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), which will guarantee loans from by Jordanian banks to SMEs. "The program is expected to facilitate over $300 million in new loans in its first five years, create 31,000 jobs and enable Jordanian banks build their capacity to sustain increased lending to SMEs over time," he said.