The European Union signed two funding agreements with Jordan on Wednesday totalling 25 million euros to support reforms in technical education and the preservation of cultural heritage, IntelliNews reports.
Jordan is the most pro-Western country in the Levant region and has hosted millions of Palestinian, Iraqi and Syrian refugees over the years, receiving millions in funding from the West.
Gert-Jan Koopman, EU Director General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, signed the agreements with Jordanian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Touqan during a visit to Amman.
The first agreement, worth €15 million, aims to increase youth employment by improving technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
The programme includes a scholarship scheme for low-income students and is in line with a German-backed initiative to orient education towards labour market needs.
The second agreement provides €10 million for the rehabilitation of two major archaeological sites, Kuwaileba (Abila) and Mekaver/Machaerus, in co-operation with Italian development agencies and civil society organisations. Koopman said in a statement:
Through these two new programmes, the EU reaffirms its unwavering commitment to supporting Jordan’s economic and social development.
Minister Touqan highlighted the EU’s role as a key development partner for Jordan, noting progress in the kingdom’s modernisation and reforms.
The agreements are part of the EU’s wider €165 million education portfolio in Jordan, which includes support to the Ministry of Education and scholarships for Jordanian and Syrian beneficiaries.
The initiatives are in line with Jordan’s “Vision for Economic Modernisation” and aim to address skills shortages in the labour market as well as promote sustainable tourism development.
