Jordan Times
Saturday, May 15, 1999
Canada pledges to press Jordan's debt relief request at G-7 meeting
OTTAWA (Agencies) — As His Majesty King Abdullah wrapped up his visit to Canada, Ottawa on Friday pledged to press Jordan's request for debt forgiveness at next month's summit meeting in Germany of the Group of Seven (G-7) industrialised nations.
In return, King Abdullah said Jordan would continue to support Canada and NATO, with humanitarian relief for the Kosovar refugees, during the conflict in Yugoslavia.
Noting that Jordan was already assisting the United Arab Emirates in operating a field hospital for the refugees, the King told journalists that Jordan was prepared to do more if asked.
“We will do whatever the United Nations and NATO ask,” he said at a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien.
On the Jordanian debt problem, Chretien said he had taken the initiative to have Third World debt forgiveness discussed at the G-7 summit of leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States in Cologne.
“The King made a strong case. Jordan needs to be in a solid economic position to play its role in the peace process,” Chretien said.
He added that Canada would also strongly support Jordan's bid to join the World Trade Organisation, a move which should make it easier for the country to export more goods with fewer restrictions.
King Abdullah replied: “Canada has given us outstanding support.”
“On everything we have discussed in the past 24 hours,” the King said, “we have seen eye to eye.”
He said he was also happy with the response he had received on the Kingdom's debt situation in his talks earlier in the week with British and German leaders.
Later Friday, King Abdullah and Her Majesty Queen Rania arrived in the U.S. ahead of a meeting in Washington with U.S. President Bill Clinton.
The King was in Ottawa for just over 24 hours, the first stop of the North American leg of a tour of several G-7 capitals.
The King is seeking forgiveness for as much as 50 per cent of Jordan's estimated $6.8 billion foreign debt with the G-7 industrial nations.
At the press conference with Chretien, King Abdullah said Jordan had to earmark one-third of its total budget on debt repayments.
Before leaving Amman on his current tour, King Abdullah told foreign journalists that he was not simply seeking a rescheduling of the Kingdom's debts.
“Rescheduling the debt will not solve our problems, what we need is debt forgiveness,” King Abdullah said.
Such an achievement would free up around $400 million a year which Jordan would otherwise spend on debt servicing for use on social projects as it struggles to reduce poverty, which affects about a third of Jordan's 4.6 million population.
On Thursday, King Abdullah met Canada's Governor General Romeo Le Blanc and called for a new push in the stalled Middle East Peace process after the upcoming Israeli elections.
“We hope that subsequent to the Israeli elections we shall be able to see a new resolve as well as a strengthened commitment to pursue the peace process and carry it through to its ultimate and logical conclusion,” the King told a state banquet.
Speaking to an audience of business leaders and investors, the King said: “We have maintained macro-economic stability and improved our business environment, making it one of the most competitive in the region.”
King Abdullah invited Canadian businessmen to invest and seek joint ventures in Jordan, especially in the fields of water and energy.
During his visit, King Abdullah also visited the parliament house in Ottawa and met with the speakers of the senate and the lower house.
In an address, the King expressed Jordan's interest in bolstering bilateral relations. He said Jordan is exerting all possible efforts to improve its national economy and the living conditions of the Jordanian people.