Prime Minister meets EU envoys

Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Wednesday received ambassadors of the European Union (EU) to Jordan and discussed bilateral cooperation and issues of common concern. The premier valued the European support to the Kingdom in various economic, political and social domains. The government, he affirmed, is committed to holding fair and transparent parliamentary elections on schedule, noting that the government will not be involved in the elections, except for providing support for the Independent Elections Commission. The government will provide the needed support and facilitations for international observers and civil society institutions that wish to follow up the elections, Ensour added. The prime minister briefed the EU envoys on the Kingdom’s economic hardships, noting that he spoke frankly to citizens about these difficulties in order to reign in budget deficit and put economy back on the right track. The budget deficit, he affirmed, has reached JD6 billion, of which JD2.5 billion were caused by the stoppage of natural gas supplies from Egypt. The social procedures will protect limited- and low-income citizens, or 70 per cent of the society from the ramifications of higher prices, the premier added. Ensour talked about the government’s procedures to cut expenditure and rationalize consumption. Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, who attended the meeting, reiterated Jordan’s stance which is in harmony with the Arab stance, calling for a political solution that puts an end to the suffering and bloodshed of Syrian people and preserves the unity of Syria. The envoys valued the depth of ties between Jordan and the European bloc, stressing keenness on Jordan’s stability. They said that they were confident that Jordan will remain an investment attracting environment. They also hailed Jordan for hosting Syrian refugees.