Jordan gets grants from U.S. to boost economic, security reforms

AMMAN, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Jordan and the U.S. on Wednesday signed a deal under which the U.S. will grant Jordan more than 6 billion U.S. dollars from 2018-2022.

According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was signed by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Jordan will get 1.275 billion dollars in economic and military aids annually.

"It is the first non-binding MoU on bilateral foreign assistance negotiated under U.S. President Donald Trump and a signal of the U.S. continuing commitment to Jordan's stability, prosperity and security," Tillerson said at a press conference in the capital Amman.

The new annual grant represents an increase of 275 million dollars over the previous deal between the two countries, according to the U.S. senior official.

The deal highlights the pivotal role Jordan plays in helping foster and safeguard regional stability, while supporting U.S. global efforts to defeat the Islamic State and boost economic development, Tillerson noted.

For Safadi, the aid from the U.S. will help Jordan address several challenges.

The MoU, which outlines areas of critical cooperation in the economic and defense sectors, will support Jordan's political and economic reforms, while mitigating the impact Syrian and Iraqi refugees have on Jordanian communities, Safadi said.

The deal is the third with the U.S. and the first under the administration of President Trump, he added.

Meanwhile, Jordan has committed to take economic and security reforms to support Jordanian self-reliance under the deal.

Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, the U.S. has provided nearly 1.1 billion dollars in humanitarian assistance to support Syrian refugees in Jordan. Enditem