Jordan Times
Friday, March 7, 2008
Dahabi holds talks with US
officials, Zoellick
WASHINGTON (Petra) - Prime Minister Nader Dahabi met on Thursday with several US
and international economic figures with whom he reviewed ongoing cooperation to
strengthen the Jordanian economy and enhance its sustainable development.
At a meeting with US Trade Representative Susan Schwab, Dahabi discussed means
to diversify Jordanian exports to US markets, especially in regard to
agricultural products under the Free Trade Agreement signed between the two
countries.
Addressing the issue of products manufactured at the Qualifying Industrial Zones
and exported to US markets, the premier discussed the possibility of
establishing schemes, under the agreement, that allow conveying such factories
into villages and remote residential areas to provide job opportunities for
people living in remote areas.
Dahabi also discussed with Schwab means to strengthen and empower the private
sector to enable it to further sell its products to US markets.
He also asked the US to support Jordan’s request to join the government tender
agreement, within the framework of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which
Jordan joined in 2001.
Meeting with Foreign Assistance Director and USAID Administrator Henrietta H.
Fore, Dahabi thanked her for USAID’s different projects, in the fields of
health, water and social security.
Fore commended the on-going cooperation between the two countries to achieve the
goals of sustainable development.
Also on Thursday, Dahabi briefed World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick on the
Kingdom’s economic situation and the challenges facing it, particularly in terms
of the budget deficit resulting from the unprecedented increase in oil prices
and the prices of other basic staples.
Dahabi told the World Bank’s top official about the steps that the government
has taken to reduce the budget deficit and to improve living conditions.
Commending Jordan’s fiscal policies, Zoellick expressed the bank’s continued
support to the Kingdom’s various reform projects.
The overall US assistance package to Jordan for the fiscal year 2007 totalled
$255.30 million in economic assistance and $276.8 million in security-related
assistance.