Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The U.S Ambassador to Jordan, Alice Wells, described Jordanian-U.S relations as vital and said the two countries are facing the same regional challenges, including threat from the IS terrorist group.

At a reception hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Jordan, Wells pointed out that the free trade agreement signed between the US and Jordan in 2001, led to an increase in the volume of trade exchange to $3.2 billion in 2013.

The U.S diplomat also said the agreement created almost 50,000 job opportunities in the past 13 years.

The U.S investment in Jordan, she added, stands at $2.2 billion, representing 10 percent of the overall foreign direct investment in the Kingdom, and covers various sectors.

The ambassador pointed that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided $150 million to support developmental projects in the private sector which is considered a key factor in any economic process.

The president of the chamber, Mohammad Batayneh, reviewed cooperation between Jordan and the US, mainly in the trade and services fields as well as the role of the free trade agreement in increasing trade between the two countries.

*Petra