Jordan Times
Thursday, November 4, 2004
Jordan, Iraq agree on
several joint projects
AMMAN (Petra) — The governments of Jordan and Iraq on Wednesday agreed to
jointly conduct several major infrastructure projects, including road and rail
transportation systems.
Prime Minister Faisal Fayez and his Iraqi counterpart Iyad Allawi announced the
plans at the conclusion of the first Joint Higher Committee meeting, which they
co-chaired.
The two premiers said they agreed to find new sources for financing the
projects, which include the rehabilitation of the Karameh border post on the
Jordanian side and the Trebil border post on the Iraqi side.
According to a joint statement, the two sides agreed to build a highway linking
the Port of Aqaba with the Iraqi border, a distance of 642 kilometres.
They would also modernise the port to handle a larger capacity of Iraq-bound
imports, create a free trade zone on the common border, construct a railway
linking the two countries and lay a crude oil pipeline from the Haditha station
northwest of Baghdad to Jordan's petroleum refinery in Zarqa, northeast of
Amman.
Jordan last month okayed a feasibility study on the pipeline, which would be
designed to transfer 350,000 barrels of crude oil a day.
The two prime ministers set up joint commissions to cooperate in the fields of
finance, technology, military and security, trade, transport, oil and energy,
labour, training. In addition, they created a commission for promoting
investment in the two countries.
Fayez and Allawi underlined the importance of the private sector's role in the
Iraq reconstruction process and in further promoting trade and economic
cooperation.
They agreed to arrange regular meetings between Iraqi and Jordanian businessmen.
At the outset of the meeting, Fayez pledged Jordan's readiness to assist in
Iraq's reconstruction, to help it achieve economic prosperity, enhance its
security and stability, and combat the terrorism that has obstructed Iraq's
return to normal life.
Referring to an international conference on Iraq to be held in Sharm El Sheikh
later this month, Fayez said Jordan hopes to mobilise efforts for Iraq's
reconstruction and urge donors to live up to their financial commitments made to
Iraq at the Madrid conference.
For his part, Allawi voiced his country's appreciation of Jordan's stand in
support of Iraq at the regional and international forums and the Kingdom's
pledge to help speed up the reconstruction process.
The two prime ministers signed minutes of their deliberations in which they
strongly denounced terrorist attacks and reviewed preparations for holding
elections in Iraq early next year.
Following the committee meeting, Minister of Planning and International
Cooperation Bassem Awadallah and his Iraqi counterpart Mahdi Al Hafiz told a
press conference that the two prime ministers approved joint efforts to secure
funds for strategic projects that will be carried out in Jordan.
They noted that the agreements reached at the committee meetings would not be
affected by the outcome of the coming elections in Iraq.
The committee meetings were cut short to allow Allawi and Fayez to fly to Abu
Dhabi to attend the funeral of United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Zayed Ben
Sultan Al Nahayan who died on Tuesday.