Jordan, U.S. seals 787 mln USD grant agreements

Jordan and the U.S. on Sunday signed four grant agreements under which the U.S. will provide the Arab kingdom with 786.8 million U.S. dollars for 2016, a minister told a press conference Sunday.

Imad Fakhoury, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, appreciated the aid as timely, and said it will help support Jordan's budget and reduce pressure caused by some 1.4 million Syrian refugees in Jordan displaced by war.

Around 100 million dollars will be dedicated to support the Red-Dead Canal project, a major water project that seeks to make available fresh water in Jordan and help protect the shrinking Dead Sea, said Fakhoury.

The grants will also be allocated to fund projects in the fields including health, education, environment, rule of law and governance.

Of the total grants, 479 million dollars will be transferred in cash to Jordan before the end of the year, Fakhoury said.

Moreover, the U.S. provided a 463 million dollars' military aid to Jordan this year, bringing the total of economic and military aid to over 1.2 billion dollars.

At the signing, Prime Minister Hani Mulki stressed on the strategic partnership between Jordan and the U.S. on all fronts. Endit