Canada reveals amount of aid to Jordan, its position on Israeli Occupation aggression on Gaza

Jordan

Published: 2021-07-02 13:54

Last Updated: 2024-03-29 11:22


Canada reveals amount of aid to Jordan, its position on Israeli Occupation aggression on Gaza
Canada reveals amount of aid to Jordan, its position on Israeli Occupation aggression on Gaza

The Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau said that Jordan is one of the few Middle Eastern countries and the only Arab country with which Canada has concluded a free trade agreement.

The value of Canadian exports to Jordan amounted to about $85 million, while Jordanian exports to Canada exceeded $114 million.

On the sidelines of his visit, which began Thursday to the Kingdom, Garneau added that Jordan is one of the countries on which Canada's Middle East strategy focuses on, through which $575 million has been allocated to Jordan since 2016 to support development, humanitarian aid, civil stability and security assistance.

He affirmed Canada's appreciation for Jordan's role as an important regional partner and as a key actor in promoting lasting peace, security and prosperity in the region.

Garneau pointed to his country's close cooperation with Jordan, through capacity-building to provide internal security and protect borders, explaining that Canada and Jordan signed a memorandum of defense cooperation in 2012, in addition to signing two memoranda of understanding on preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction, increasing security cooperation and achieving stability in 2013 and 2016 respectively.

He expressed his pride in the friendly relations with Jordan, noting that his country supported Jordan's efforts to expand education and health services, especially vital services provided to refugees, which is a very important matter, especially during the pandemic.

He stressed the importance and strength of the partnership with Jordan, which emerged over decades of continuous cooperation to enhance peace, security and trade in the region, noting that Jordan is an important partner in the Middle East, noting that his visit to the Kingdom came as an affirmation of Canada's strong support for the Kingdom and to listen to the views of Jordanian officials on pressing issues.

In terms of Palestine and the Israeli Occupation, Garneau said that he will hold talks in the coming days in both Tel Aviv and the West Bank to search for ways in which Canada can play a constructive role to support dialogue towards a two-state solution.

He added that it was important to listen, during his visit to the Kingdom, to Jordan's point of view, especially in light of the vital role Jordan plays for the cause of peace and security in the region, especially as the guardian of the holy sites in Jerusalem.

On cooperation in confronting the pandemic, the minister said that Jordan is one of the first countries in the world to start vaccinating refugees, and Canada was proud to contribute to these efforts by providing financial support to the Jordanian Refugee Health Fund and encouraging the use of this fund to support Jordan’s response to the virus among refugees and the population. 

He said that Canada is deeply concerned and sad about the loss of life as a result of the recent aggression by the Israeli Occupation and the response of Hamas, as well as the humanitarian impact on those affected by the violence in the West Bank, stressing Canada's commitment to supporting the two-state solution.

He referred to Canada’s concern about the totally unacceptable acts of violence in the Old City of Jerusalem, including in and around the Temple Mount, and the importance of respecting Jordan’s guardianship over the holy sites in Jerusalem, as well as his country’s grave concern about the continued construction of settlements, evictions and demolitions, including the ongoing issues in the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighborhoods.

Garneau affirmed Canada's commitment to assisting Palestinians, including refugees, whom UNRWA has been mandated to serve.