U.S.- Jordan Forum Promotes Environmental Cooperation and Economic Growth in Jordan
AMMAN - The U.S.-Jordan Joint Forum on Environmental Technical Cooperation convened in Amman today to discuss ways in which the two countries are cooperating to preserve and protect Jordan’s environment. This joint forum was established in 2000 under the Joint Statement on Environmental Technical Cooperation - which the two countries issued in association with the U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement - as a means to enhance Jordan’s economic development and the quality of the trade relationship between the two countries.
Minister of Environment Eng. Khalid Irani led today’s talks for the Government of Jordan while U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment and Sustainable Development Dan Reifsnyder headed the U.S. delegation. Participants included representatives from Jordan’s Ministry of Environment and the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, the U.S. State Department, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Officials from other countries in the region which have signed an FTA with the United States, including Morocco, Bahrain and Oman, also participated.
During the meeting, participants listened to reports on the status of joint U.S.-Jordanian environmental projects that aim to benefit Jordan’s environment and its people. At the end of the meeting, Minister of Environment Irani and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Reifsnyder signed a new work program that lays out a road map for environmental cooperation between the United States and Jordan from 2009-2011. The long-term goals of this work program include improved protection and conservation of the environment, increased transparency and public participation in environmental decision-making, as well as the promotion of a culture of environmental protection and compliance with environmental laws. The work program also identifies priority areas for future cooperation and recognizes the need to establish benchmarks to measure progress toward achieving the two countries’ joint goals.
After the signing, a final communiqué was announced, reaffirming the strong commitment of the United States and Jordan to work together to protect the environment and improve the management of Jordan’s natural resources upon which development depends. The statement affirms that such cooperation tangibly demonstrates that economic growth and environmental protection are mutually supportive.
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