The EU plans to unlock €500 million in loans to the Kingdom of Jordan at a summit in Amman today, according to documents seen by Euractiv.
The bloc’s main leadership duo, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, are meeting Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman for what they are billing as the first-ever summit between Jordan and the EU.
The EU has agreed to disburse €3 billion to Jordan over the next few years, a third of which will be in the form of loans, as part of a push to strengthen the bloc’s political relationship with Amman.
Thursday’s summit, however, was almost marred by Jordan’s initial refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a joint statement with the EU, as Rapporteur first reported.
Countries like Estonia and Lithuania were pushing for much harsher language on Russia. A final joint statement, seen by Euractiv, does refer to the legal requirement for states to refrain from the use of force, but does not mention Russia by name.
In comparison, an EU statement with Gulf countries signed in October last year called out Russia by name, and quoted from UN resolutions that demanded it cease its “aggression” in Ukraine.
The joint statement also commits to supporting Palestinian refugees in Jordan, calls for “urgent action” to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, says Hamas must end its rule there, and stresses the importance of beefing up the Palestinian Authorities’ police so it can take over in Gaza.
The EU will hold an investment conference in Jordan in April and a security and defence “dialogue” early this year.
Another summit will take place in Brussels in 2028.
(cm)