Jordan News UpdatesChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti on Sunday received a delegation from the United Arab Emirates, headed by the Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces Lt. Gen. Hamad Mohammed Thani al-Rumaithi.
The visit comes within the framework of boosting cooperation and military coordination between the two countries.
Source: Jordan News Agency
Prime Minister Bishr Khasawneh received Sunday, the heads of Arab delegations participating in the celebrations for the selection of Irbid as the Arab Capital of Culture for 2022.
Khasawneh, who is also the Chairman of the Higher National Committee for the Irbid Celebration, said that the government, national institutions, the private sector and local actors are all stakeholders in the success of such an important national and Arab event, which kicks off tomorrow under royal patronage.
He underscored the importance of hosting the event year-round and carrying out cultural activities and events in cooperation with the local community and networking with other countries to establish cultural weeks that highlight Arab culture.
Source: Jordan News Agency
Head of Jordan Independent Election Commission (IEC), Musa Ma’aitah, called on young people to engage in collective action within their communities, referring to the “true” amendments to laws to support youth, including reducing the candidate’s age, in addition to the parties’ law and their funding, which support youth and women to run for elections.
Speaking at a dialogue seminar hosted by Amman Group for Future Dialogues, Ma’atah called on young people to engage in partisan work, as “the way to political activity.”
During the dialogue moderated by the group’s president, Bilal Hassan al-Tal, Ma’atah said new parties will be licensed under the 2022 Elections Law, which was recently endorsed by the Parliament.
Continuing: “A party that couldn’t rectify its status within the one year-period stipulated by the new law will be deemed legally dissolved”.
The IEC, he noted, will submit a proposal to the government to support the parties’ electoral campaigns, which are running for the first time, he said, adding that the Cabinet has the final decision to approve or decline the recommendation.
On the IEC’s role ahead, he said ‘tremendous” work in terms of training on parties and the electoral law will be carried out, adding that the commission will train its staff and the community, on new laws and the nature of holding the upcoming elections.
On the Chambers of Commerce and Industry file, he said the IEC will take the necessary measures and arrangements to “fully conduct and supervise” their elections.
As for partisanship and community engagement, he said this process needs several factors, primarily integration of related topics in school curricula to highlight importance of partisan life in developing societies, active participation, diversity and democracy.
Source: Jordan News Agency
Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, Yousef Shamali, stressed the importance of Jordanian-Algerian action to enhance economic joint cooperation in various fields and best benefit from the available opportunities and areas based on their “deep-rooted historic” relations.
Speaking at a meeting in Algeria on Sunday, with Algerian Minister of Trade and Export Promotion, Kamal Rezik, Shamali stressed the opportunity has come to increase volume of trade exchange, establish joint investments in both countries and stimulate their private sectors, according to a ministry statement
Shamali, who started a visit to the North African country, Saturday evening, to discuss areas of economic cooperation and prepare for the upcoming meetings of the joint committee, said Jordan is keen to develop economic cooperation with Algeria in various fields, especially at this stage that requires intensifying efforts to counter the current challenges and the Covid-19 pandemic-related repercussions and regional and international developments.
During the meeting, which was also attended by Algerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) president, and a number of Algerian businesspeople, Shamali reviewed the volume of joint trade exchange during 2020, which amounted to $213 million, compared to $197 million in 2021, a decrease of nearly 8%.
The volume of trade exchange during the first quarter of 2022 amounted to about $72 million, compared to $32 million for the same period in 2021, he added.
In addition, Shamali touched on Jordan’s comprehensive reforms in the economic fields, which finally culminated in launching Economic Modernization Vision for the next ten years and represents an extended action program for economic advancement.
In this regard, he also referred to the government’s efforts to increase the Kingdom’s investment attractiveness, as work is currently underway to complete preparation of a new draft law on the investment environment.
Source: Jordan News Agency
The Senate’s Jordanian-Canadian Friendship Committee, led by Senator George Hazboun, on Sunday met Canadian Ambassador Donica Pottie.
Hazboun lauded the deep-rooted bilateral relations and the friendship of His Majesty King Abdullah II with Queen Elizabeth II and the Canadian government that contributed to advancing cooperation in economy and investment.
He highlighted joint political stances toward current regional and global issues, top of which are the peace and security cases in the region, especially reaching a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause.
The envoy, for her part, indicated the “deep-rooted historical relations” between the two countries, stressing the need to develop them to serve the mutual interests of the two countries’ people.
She lauded Jordan’s ability, led by His Majesty King Abdullah II, to overcome challenges and host refugees, in addition to His Majesty’s efforts to bring about peace in the Middle East and the world.
Pottie also spoke about several projects currently underway, including women empowerment and inclusion in many fields, especially economic ones, supporting Syrian refugees, and developing technical education.
Source: Jordan News Agency
The Cabinet, in its session held Sunday, headed by Prime Minister Dr. Bishr Khasawneh, decided to extend its previous decision to exempt air tickets issued for flights scheduled to depart from King Hussein International Airport (KHIA) in Aqaba, from special tax for a three-year period.
The decision aims to stimulate tourism in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), attract more airlines with flight departure data from KHIA in Aqaba, and increase the number of tourists and their stay period in the port city.
On the other hand, the Council of Ministers approved the mandating reasons for an amended bylaw of the Lawyers Social Solidarity Fund at Jordan Bar Association (JBA) for 2022.
The bylaw aims to introduce modern measures to inform subscribers, in accordance with Code of Civil Procedures, especially since claims may be monthly or bi-monthly.
The bylaw also seeks to identify the reference for JBA practicing procedures and sets a JD2, 500 upper ceiling as the amount disbursed to each subscriber to maintain Lawyers Social Solidarity Fund’s sustainability and continuity, to address an increase in the subscriber numbers.
Under the amendments, new subscribers will join the fund to achieve the solidarity goals and address cases of profession disruption for personal reasons or employment.
In addition, the amendments allow membership of the trainee lawyer in the solidarity fund, aimed to develop cooperation and participation and address trained lawyers’ urgent needs.
The Council of Ministers also approved the mandating reasons for an amended bylaw for renewing health professions workers’ licenses for 2022, aimed to giving an “sufficient” time for all health professions practitioners to rectify their status, in accordance with the license renewal requirements, and develop a practitioner database to help Jordan’s health union councils to carry out their tasks.
Source: Jordan News Agency
His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday received a phone call from Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
King Abdullah and King Hamad highlighted keenness on bolstering the deep-rooted ties between the two countries and peoples.
The two leaders also reiterated the need to maintain coordination and consultation on issues of mutual concern, in service of shared interests and Arab causes.
Source: Jordan News Agency