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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The EU has provided Jordan with a grant totaling € 60 million to help education services provided to Syrian refugees and the kingdom's participation in EU youth programmes, officials said today.

The grant deal was signed by EU Ambassador to Jordan Joanna Wronecka and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury and includes million 55 million euros and € 5.5 million to be divided into two main schemes.

The € 55 million involve aid to education services to 140,000 Syrian students in public schools and refugee camps, while the €5.5-million are to enhance participation in the EU's ERASMUS + programme for higher education.

"Access to education is a basic and universal human right and the EU together with Jordan are ensuring that this right is provided to the Syrian children,"said Wronecka in an EU statement.

"Furthermore, Jordanian youth and students will have the opportunity to improve their skills in partnership with top class European universities," she added.

The grant agreement is seen as part of a much wider support programme by the EU to Jordan to deal with the Syrian crisis which covers, amongst others, humanitarian aid, job creation, water management, support to host communities. Jordanian officials said the education programme with the UE will increase intercultural dialogue and understanding between participants from Jordan and EU member states as well as the region and facilitate the travel of some 350-400 students from the local higher education institutions involved in the programme to Europe.

*ANSAmed