Under an agreement signed between the two countries, the US would provide USD 12mn in economic assistance to Jordan. US Charge d'Affaires David Hale and United States Agency for International Development (USAID)Director Anne Aarnes signed the agreement on behalf of the US, while Planning and International Cooperation Minister Suhair Al-Ali signed on behalf of Jordan.
The grant is the first portion of a US economic assistance of USD 350mn for fiscal 2005. Under the terms of the agreement, the US would support ongoing USAID initiatives aimed at promoting economic growth in Jordan.
One of the activities is the USAID Achievements of Market-Friendly Initiatives and Results Programme (AMIR), which aim to assist Jordan in the development of an economic climate conducive to investment and
trade. Other activities cover the Jordan-US Business Partnership (JUSBP) and the development of the
Aqaba Special Economic Zone. JUSBP assists Jordanian companies to find and exploit new export
opportunities in order to create jobs for Jordanian citizens.