Amman/ Laith al-Junaidi/ Anadolu

Jordan and Germany on Thursday signed formal meeting minutes allocating a new development aid package for the kingdom worth 684 million euros, an increase of 65 million euros compared to the previous package.

The package includes funding for projects in water, education, and vocational training sectors, in addition to supporting Jordan's efforts in hosting Syrian refugees during 2026 and 2027.

This came at the conclusion of bilateral governmental talks between the two sides, according to a statement from the Jordanian Ministry of Planning.

The talks were held in the capital Amman, chaired by Jordanian Minister of Planning Zeina Toukan and Head of the Middle East Department at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development Annette Schmas, and attended by German Ambassador Bertram von Moltke.

The Jordanian Ministry of Planning explained that the financial package will be directed to vital projects in the water and sanitation, education, vocational training, and private sector support sectors, in addition to funding programs supporting the kingdom's efforts in hosting Syrian refugees.

It stated that these programs align with the kingdom's economic and administrative priorities, especially the 'Economic Modernization Vision 2026-2029'.

The ministry indicated that implementation agreements will be signed successively upon completion of project design.

Toukan affirmed the strength of the extended strategic partnership with Berlin for more than seven decades.

She expressed her country's appreciation for the continuous German support, which contributes to enhancing sustainable economic development.

For her part, the head of the German delegation, Annette Schmas, renewed her country's commitment to continuing the partnership with Jordan as 'a reliable partner in the region'.

Schmas emphasized the continued support for Amman's efforts in facing the repercussions of the Syrian refugee crisis and implementing economic reforms.

It is noteworthy that the previous Jordanian-German governmental talks, held in Berlin last May, resulted in allocating an aid package worth 619 million euros for the years 2024 and 2025, making the new package higher by about 65 million euros.

Germany is the second largest donor country to Jordan, as it mainly contributes to financing the water sector, in addition to supporting the burden of hosting about 1.3 million Syrian refugees.