Jordan Times
Monday, March 22, 2004
Reconstruction schemes in Iraq will witness ‘greater regional integration' - Gnehm
Jordan will continue to play a significant role
By Ruba Saqr
AMMAN, March 22 - As the official date approaches for transferring the authority in Iraq to an interim government, reconstruction schemes of the war-battered country will witness “greater regional integration,” according to US Ambassador Edward Gnehm.
In his remarks on Sunday at the opening ceremony of the Second International Rebuilding Iraq Conference, Gnehm said the region, particularly Jordan, will continue to play a significant role in the economic rebuilding of Iraq.
“Much material for the reconstruction efforts will be procured from within the region and all of it will transit through the area,” Gnehm told businesspeople representing more than 160 companies from 24 countries.
The “turning point” in Iraq's political situation, to take place on June 30, will “guide Iraq's political transition until a permanent government is formed through direct election,” he said.
Jordan's role in stabilizing Iraq has been “immense,” he added, hailing the Jordanian government for its help in this regard by hosting the training of Iraqi police cadets and military personnel as well as other civic and governmental bodies.
Last week, the first batch of Iraqi army cadets graduated from the Jordanian military training academy in Zarqa.
“Jordan has resumed its role as a gateway to Iraq,” the US ambassador stressed. “We've already seen the dramatic effect that postwar economic activity has had on ports in the region, like Aqaba, and we should expect this to continue as the reconstruction gathers speed.”
Ahmad Al Mukhtar, from the Iraqi ministry of trade, invited Jordanian firms as well as international companies to tap into Iraq's bountiful natural resources and investment opportunities.
“Iraq's economy should recover quickly to the levels before the Gulf War and continue growing from that stage,” the Iraqi official said.
Throughout the 1990s until the US-led war on Iraq, Jordan was an important transit point for goods and materials moving in and out of Iraq, which ranked as the Kingdom's number one trade partner.
Finance Minister Mohammad Abu Hammour described Jordan's economic environment as “conducive to foreign investment,” stressing that the Kingdom has “much to offer” to international companies interested in partaking in the rebuilding of the formerly Baathist state.
“Jordan has proved to be the logical stepping stone and gateway to Iraq as it offers great benefits in terms of its geographical location and proximity” to the war-torn country, according to Azzam Shweihat, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Jordan (JABA).
The conference, which runs through Monday, is organized by JABA in conjunction with the Amman World Trade Center (AWTC).
Mohammad Asfour, AWTC's chairman, underlined the importance of the conference as an opportunity for participating companies to capitalize on the recent US government's appropriation of over $18.6 billion for reconstruction funding.
In addition to Jordan, the conference brings together businesspeople from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Korea, Kuwait, Nigeria, Palestine, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, USA and Japan.
Participants also include key international organizations such as the United Nations, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Iraqi Chambers of Commerce, and Iraqi businessmen from various regions such as Baghdad, Mosul, Kirkuk and Suleimaniah.
On March 17, a complementary exhibition was inaugurated at the Amman International Motor Show to give the conference's participants the opportunity to showcase their services and products as well as establish business relations among them.
The conference is the sixth of its kind held in Jordan. In the past few months, similar exhibitions have also been held in neighboring countries such as Kuwait.