Ammon News - The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Zeina Touqan, signed an agreement today, Sunday, with Dr. Matthias Schmidt-Rosen, the Director of the German Development Bank Office in Jordan, alongside the Minister of Water and Irrigation, Eng. Raed Abu Saud, along with the German Ambassador to Amman, announced two financing agreements offered by the German government via the German Development Bank to help meet the water and sanitation sector's needs.

The initial agreement encompasses a grant of 21.5 million euros from the German government via the German Development Bank to fund the third phase of the (Results-Based Financing in the Water Sector) initiative, designed to enhance the efficient operation and upkeep of water supply and sanitation systems in the northern governorates by aiding the functioning of several sewage facilities within the Yarmouk Water Company and the pipeline transporting treated water from these facilities, along with hydropower stations.

The second agreement involves an extra grant of 15 million euros from the German government via the same bank to support the national water carrier project "Aqaba - Amman for desalination and water transfer," increasing the total German government contribution to this project to 80 million euros. This financial support is also a component of a broad initiative alongside other contributors, and these grants align with the water sector priorities in the Kingdom under the Economic Modernization Vision's executive program for the years (2023 - 2025). The initiative aims to ensure sustainable water sources, minimize water loss, protect groundwater from contamination, and enhance sanitation service infrastructure.

Minister Toukan conveyed the gratitude and appreciation of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan's government to the German government for its ongoing assistance to Jordan as a key development partner over the years, particularly in the water and sanitation sector, where Germany plays a significant role in providing financial and technical support.

The Minister responsible for Water and Irrigation, Engineer. Raed Abu Al-Saud mentioned that the two grants from the German Development Bank aided in supporting the water sector and assisted in addressing the challenges confronting this sector. He valued the support from the German side for the national water carrier initiative "Aqaba - Amman for desalination and water transfer," which stands as one of the key strategic projects for the Kingdom.

The German ambassador highlighted that Germany recognizes the magnitude of the challenges confronting Jordan, particularly in the water sector, and that his nation backs Jordan's endeavors to tackle these issues. The funding from the German government via the German Development Bank aims to enhance the ongoing efforts and cooperation with the Jordanian government in this area.

The German government had earlier pledged, during the Jordanian-German governmental discussions on development cooperation for the years (2024-2025), which took place in Berlin on (6-7/5/2024), to provide development assistance to the Kingdom totaling around (619) million euros in grants and concessional loans for the years (2024-2025). This funding is intended to support key development initiatives within the executive program of the Economic Modernization Vision, the Public Sector Modernization Roadmap, and the Jordanian Response Plan to the Syrian Crisis. New projects will be announced separately following the signing of their agreements after finalizing all related procedures.