Jordanian and European officials met today on the banks of the Dead Sea in Jordan to discuss means of bolstering Euro-Mediterranean economic partnership.
The one-day event organised by the French ministry of economy, finance and industry examined ways of improving competitiveness and productivity aimed at developing regional economies and bolstering Euro-Mediterranean partnership.
Speakers included European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy, who wrapped up in Amman on Sunday a regional visit to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, as well as the director general of the economic and trade department at the French ministry of economy Jean-Francois Stoll.
Participants on the Jordanian side included Finance Minister Michel Marto, Planning Minister Bassem Awadallah and National Economy Minister Mohamed Halayka, architect of the recently ratified US-Jordan free trade agreement.
Stoll spoke about the "challenges" facing the Euro-Mediterranean partnership while French ambassador to Jordan Bernard Emie spoke of France's priviledged ties with Jordan within the framework of this partnership.
Halayka gave a comparative view of the US-Jordan free trade agreement finalised in October 2001 and the association agreement which Jordan signed with the European Union in 1997 and is due to be ratified later this year.
The closed-door discussions were the first ever to be organised in Jordan, which joined the World Trade Organisation in 2001 and has embarked last October in a major economic reforms programme.
AFP
