Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Nasser Shraideh on Tuesday met with ambassadors of EU countries that are members at the Team Europe Initiative over means of priority cooperation under the framework of the green growth and economy.

The meeting saw the participation of EU Ambassador Maria Hadjitheodosiou and ambassadors of member states in the Team Europe Initiative (Germany, France, Spain, The Netherlands and Italy), as well as representatives of European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).  

The European side reviewed the approach it would take regarding the sustainable green economy and growth under the framework of European assistance to Jordan, which is based on cooperation and integration between the European Commission, member states of the initiative and European financing institutions, according to a ministry statement.

The Team Europe Initiative is part of the EU response to face the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic at the international level through a joint action approach to increase the efficiency of coordinating efforts, mainly at the level of cooperation in priority fields with partner countries.

During the meeting, Shraideh stressed the strategic partnership between Jordan and the EU, highlighting the importance of coordinating efforts of EU countries, member states and European financing institutions in supporting strategies of sectors that are under the umbrella of the initiative, in addition to the importance of attracting investments in partnership with the private sector.

The minister also reviewed the government efforts in the field of transformation towards green growth and the national priorities for the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, stimulating the economic activity and increasing youth employment, highlighting the significance for these priorities to be included in the joint priority document of the EU for 2021-2027.

For their part, the EU ambassadors expressed readiness, through the initiative, to support the government’s efforts in better responding to the challenges posed by the pandemic and transforming them into opportunities, mainly in the water and water desalination fields.