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The
Jordanian EU Partnership ratification process Completed
The
European Commission announced on February 26th, 2002 that the
ratification process of the 1997 Jordanian European Partnership Agreement
was completed following the endorsement by the Belgium's seven regional
parliaments (the last European parliament that ratifies the agreement).
Jordan ratified the agreement in September 1999. EC spokesman said the EU
will start the implementation of the agreement’s various articles to
meet relevant commitments towards Jordan both economically and
commercially. The agreement is now expected to enter into force in May
2002, after the exchange of the instruments of ratification between the 15
EU member-states and the Kingdom.
HM
King Abdullah urges the implementation of Development projects
Addressing the Government's
Economic Task Force, His Majesty King Abdullah II urged the Government to
accelerate the implementation of major development projects such as those
planned in the fields of energy and water and to build on the country's
positive economic achievements. The King pointed out that private sector
investments are the basis for ensuring sustainable socio-economic
development. The Prime Minister said that the Government is determined to
attain King Abdullah's vision for the national economy and is working to
create the conditions necessary to allow Jordan to compete with other
nations in attracting capital.
Environmental
Sustainability, Jordan ranked 53rd out of 142 states
According
to a 142-nation study, Jordan was ranked the highest among the Arab states
in terms of “environmental sustainability”, outpacing countries such
as Japan and the United Kingdom. The Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI)
2002, which was released in the end of January 2002, placed Jordan in the
53rd place. The ESI measures the capability of environmental
institutions and managing environmental challenges into the future. Yale
University, Columbia University and the World Economic Forum conduct the
ESI jointly. For more information, http://www.ciesin.org/indicators/ESI/
IFC
invests in Jordan’s QIZ’s
The
private investment arm of the World Bank, the International Finance
Corporation (IFC) has approved €17 million in loans and equity to Boscan
Jordan, aiming at helping Jordan to be at the hub of worldwide luggage
manufacturing operations, according to a news release by the World Bank.
Boscan Jordan, located in the Qualifying Industrial Zone in northern
Jordan, produces soft-sided luggage products. Goods produced in QIZ’s
can be exported to the US market duty-free and with no excise tax or quota
limits, under the terms of trade agreements between Jordan and the US.
85
German musicians perform a music concert in Amman
The
Brandenburg Federal Youth Symphony Orchestra (Landesjugendsinfonieorchester
Brandenburg) will hold two concerts in Amman at the end of March 2002, in
cooperation with the National Music Conservatory of Jordan and the Goethe
Institute. The performances come in conjunction with declaring Jordan’s
capital, AMMAN, as the Arab Cultural Capital 2002. The Orchestra
consists of 85 German musicians and will hold two performances.
€142
million assistance to Jordan
Jordan
and the European Union signed on March 5th the Memorandum for
Jordan’s National Indicative Program (NIP) 2002-2004. The MoU will
provide Jordan with €142 million of assistance to support economic
reforms, social safety net programs, human resources development and trade
enhancement over the 2002-2004 period.
Baptism
Site Visitors Center to be Opened Officially
Preparations
are underway at the Baptism site on the eastern bank of the River Jordan
to complete work in the visitor’s centre, which will be officially
inaugurated soon to host Christian pilgrims. The Baptism site near Wadi Al
Kharar in the southern part of the Jordan Valley has been acknowledged as
the site where John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ and where
Christianity started to spread to all corners of the globe. The visit of
His Holiness John Paul II to the site in 2000 and his blessing of Al
Kharar spring water gave more importance to the site, which was unearthed
in 1998.
Jordan
Pharmaceutical Industries enters European markets
MENA
Report - Jordan's Hayat Pharmaceutical Industries (HPI) recently obtained
a permit from the European Union (EU) to market its products in EU
countries. HPI obtained the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliance
certificate pertaining to medicinal products and drugs from the EU,
reported the official Xinhua news agency.
The company sent a request to the Swedish Health Authority, which
inspected its facilities in Amman and was granted its GMP certificate
earlier this month. A move seen as a major boost to pharmaceutical exports
of the Kingdom, the permit will allow the company to market its drugs on
European markets or produce drugs for any European pharmaceutical company
and then export them to the European markets. Established in 1993, HPI
operates out of an 8000 square meter production facility. The plant
produces a wide range of pharmaceutical dosage forms and has developed and
registered more than 52 products. HPI operates in 11 different countries
throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Pharmaceutical products are
the third largest foreign currency earner for Jordan after clothing and
potash exports, with an export volume rising close to $181 million in 2001
from $154 million in the previous year.
Fastlink
purchases $2.3 million worth of software from Germany’s TelesensKSCL
MENA
Report - Jordan Mobile Telephone Services Company (Fastlink), recently
signed a $2.3 million order with German-based telecommunication company,
TelesensKSCL. TelesensKSCL will provide Fastlink with software to support
its move into GPRS services, stated a press release. The deal enables the
operator to expand its billing solution backbone. Fastlink already
launched GPRS services in 2002 as the first provider in the Middle East.
Further significant advances such as the utilization of EFR (Enhanced Full
Rate) technology, the addition of new switches and the ongoing roll-out of
WAP technology will follow. Over the space of 12 months, Faslink doubled
its subscriber base and its infrastructure capabilities in terms of
network capacity and technology deployment, according to a company press
release. In 2001, the company’s base rose from 280,000 subscribers to
680,000 subscribers at the end of the year 2001.
Issued
by the Commercial Section of the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan
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