Greetings from Ambassador Yanagi
2018/8/7
In Jordan it is a period of summer in which the outside temperature exceeds 30 degrees every day. I hope everyone living in Jordan, and everyone who is interested in Jordan is all fine. Four months have passed since the last activity report in March, across the Ramadan. During this period, the biggest event for the Japanese people here was the winning of Nadeshiko Japan in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2018 held in Amman in April. In terms of the bilateral relationship, the Prime Minister Abe's visit (from the end of April to May 1st), which was for the first time since January 2015, should be underlined as the most remarkable event. And, for Jordan the start of the new government in June might be the biggest change.
Below I would like to briefly introduce what happened in this period.
1. VIPs’ visits from Japan
(1) Prime Minister Abe's visit to Jordan
Prime Minister Abe and his wife visited Jordan from April 30 to May 1 for the first time in about three years and four months, as part of their Middle East tour. During the limited schedule in Jordan, the summit meeting was held with His Majesty the King Abdullah II, and Prime Minister H.E. Dr. Al-Mulki (at that time), and an extended luncheon meeting was also held with the accompanied business delegation. After that, Prime Minister Abe summarized his visit in the joint press conference. In this visit, Prime Minister and His Majesty the King agreed to confirm that the relationships between Japan and Jordan have become strategic partnership. In addition, at this opportunity, an exchange note on grant aid project was signed with a limit of 1,631 million yen for improving waste processing capacity in the northern region of Jordan accepting Syrian refugees. As a whole, it was a truly fruitful visit, as the accompanied business delegation was highly appreciated by the Jordanian side.
(2) Visit of Foreign Minister Mr. Kono
Foreign Minister Mr. Kono visited Jordan from 28 to 30 April, and attended an international conference on terrorism in Aqaba from 28 to 29. Then, Foreign Minister Mr. Kono attended, on the evening of 29, in the hotel at the Dead Sea, the Sixth Ministerial-Level Meeting of the Four-Party Consultative Unit for the “Corridor for Peace and Prosperity”, together with Jordan, Israel and Palestinian Ministers, to have discussion over the progress of the Jericho Agro-Industrial Park (JAIP) and future development of the logistics environment between JAIP and Allenby / King Hussein Bridge. In addition, in the morning of 30 April, in Amman, Foreign Minister Mr. Kono had the bilateral meeting with the US Secretary of State H.E. Mr. Mike Pompeo who visited Jordan immediately after his approval from the U.S. Senate.
(3) Visit of State Minister of Finance Mr. Kihara
State Minister of Finance Mr. Kihara visited Jordan to attend the general meeting of EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) held in the hotel at the Dead Sea from 8 to 9 May. At this opportunity he also visited Zaatari Syrian refugee camp, and met Minister of Planning and International Cooperation H.E. Mr. Imad Fakhoury (at that time). Finance Minister H.E. Mr. Omar Malhas (at that time) also joined, who explained the fiscal and tax reforms of the Jordanian government and expressed strong hopes for Japan's ODA loan offers.
(4) Visit of State Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Sato
From 5 to 7 July, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Sato visited Jordan. He met Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign and Expatriates Affairs H.E. Mr. Zaid Al-Louzi, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Mary Kawar, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat. In addition, State Minister Mr. Sato visited Petra Museum which is under construction with Japanese aid, Zaatari Syrian refugee camp, Northern border with Syria, and the Jordan Center for Counter Extremism supported by Japan via International Organizations.
2. Change of the Government
From the end of May to the beginning of June during the month of Ramadan, there were large demonstrations against the revision bill of the government's income tax law, and price increase measures for electricity and gasoline. On 4 June Prime Minister H.E. Dr. Hani Al-Mulki (at that time) submitted his resignation, and the former Minister of Education H.E. Dr. Omar Al-Razzaz was nominated as the new prime minister, and the Razzaz cabinet was inaugurated on 14 June. Whereas 16 ministers (except Prime Minister) stayed in office from the former cabinet, it is said that the core economic ministers have almost been renewed because the change of the government is partly due to their economic policy. Electricity and gasoline raise was withdrawn by His Majesty the King on 1 June. The income tax reform was withdrawn once, but it seems to be necessary to reform income tax for Jordan's fiscal reconstruction. Therefore, it will be a challenge that the new government must face.
3. Economic Cooperation Relations
On 3 April, in presence of Secretary General of Municipal Affairs H.E. Eng. Waleed Al Utoum, I attended the handing over ceremony of the first batch of the equipment and machinery for solid waste management, including bulldozers and wheel loaders. On 4 April, I also attended the handing over ceremony of the first batch of the equipment and machinery for water sector, in presence of Minister of Water & Irrigation H.E. Mr. Ali Ghzawi (at that time). Furthermore, from March to July, we held a series of ceremonies for playing up Japan's contribution with the international organizations (UNHCR, UNRWA, FAO, UNICEF) that Japan budgeted for refugee projects from the supplementary budget in February this year.
In addition, the Japanese government announced support for a total of 14 million dollars at the international conference for supporting Syrian refugees held in Brussels on 24 April. It includes USD10 million (of which USD2 million is for Jordan) for UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees), which suffers from lack of the budget due to the huge decrease of the U.S. contributions, USD2 million each for UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), of which USD 1 million each for their activities in Jordan. With regard to the support for UNRWA, the project opening ceremony was held at the Bakaa Health Center in Barca Province on 13 May, which includes delivering medicines to 26 health centers operated by UNRWA to provide high-quality health services. Regarding UNHCR, the project opening ceremony was held at Zaatari Syrian Refugee Camp on 26 June with regard to the support project for the medical field in the northeastern region. I attended both of the two opening ceremonies.
At these ceremonies, deep appreciation to the Japanese government was conveyed in the speeches from the Jordanian side and international organizations.
4. My Courtesy Visits to Jordanian VIPs
(1) Courtesy Visits to the Ministers
I made courtesy visit to the Minister of Interior H.E. Mr. Samir Mubaidin on 26 April, and Minister of Agriculture H.E. Mr. Khalid Hanifat on 10 July. Based on the above-mentioned change of government, I made courtesy visits to the newly appointed ministers from the end of June, and heard the policies of the new cabinet (Minister of Public Works and Housing H.E. Yahya Kisbi, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Mary Kawar, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply H.E. Mr. Tarek Al-Hammouri (28 June), Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources H.E. Ms. Hala Zawati (3 July), Minister of Water and Irrigation H.E. Mr. Munir Owais (10 July), Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Affairs H.E. Dr. Rajai Muasher (12 July)), Minister of Social Development H.E. Ms. Hala Latouf (28 July), and Minister of Health H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Al-Sheyab (31 July).
(2) Visit to Aqaba
I traveled to Aqaba on 15 April and made a courtesy visit to, Chief Commissioner of Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) H.E. Mr. Nasser Sultan Shraideh. As the only port in Jordan which faces the Red Sea, Aqaba is the logistical hub, and has strategic importance in a sense that it borders with Israel and Saudi Arabia, and Egypt on the other side of the Aqaba bay. On the other hand, it is also a famous tourist destination with the high transparency of the sea water. Therefore, Aqaba is expected to develop in the future.
5. Relationship with Japanese society
On 16 March, the graduation ceremony of the Japanese Language Supplementary School in Jordan was held at the hall in the Embassy. I also attended the enrollment ceremony at the school garden on 13 April. About 20 school children learn Japanese language eagerly on every Friday.
In addition, I attended the general meeting of the Japanese society in Jordan on 11 May. It is held once every year.
Approximately one-third of the Japanese residents, the number of which is around 320, participated in the general meeting.
6. Japan women national football team’s winning of Asian Cup championship title
For the two weeks from 6 to 20 April, the final round of the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2018 was held at the two stadiums in Amman, in which eight teams participated. Nadeshiko Japan, the Japanese women’s national Football team, fought five games and won the championship wonderfully. It was also a very important competition because it was at the same time dedicated to the qualifying round for the Women's Football World Cup to be held in France next year, and five teams out of eight will be given a ticket to participate in it. In the primary league, although Japan won the first game against Vietnam, the following two games against Republic of Korea and Australia were difficult which resulted in draw. However, by defeating China in the semifinal and Australia in the final, Nadeshiko Japan finally won the championship, following the previous tournament held in Vietnam in 2014.
7. Information for Safety
Finally, I would like to draw your attention a little about everyone’s safety.
A robbery case occurred in the ruins of Jelash in early June, in which a Japanese male was injured. He got his arm scratched, but fortunately, it did not reach any further serious situation. In Jordan, today the general security level does not seem to be the same as last year, as general economic conditions become difficult. In comparison with the countries in the Middle East, the security situation in Jordan is not so serious yet, but please be aware of paying attention especially in places with little traffic and at night.
Please pay your full attention to your safety, such as by obtaining the latest related information by covering news and social media, or by not approaching places carelessly, where a large number of people gather.
Finally, when you travel outside of the country, please register your travel in “TABI-REGI".
Hidenao Yanagi
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Jordan
<Previous Greetings>
Below I would like to briefly introduce what happened in this period.
1. VIPs’ visits from Japan
(1) Prime Minister Abe's visit to Jordan
Prime Minister Abe and his wife visited Jordan from April 30 to May 1 for the first time in about three years and four months, as part of their Middle East tour. During the limited schedule in Jordan, the summit meeting was held with His Majesty the King Abdullah II, and Prime Minister H.E. Dr. Al-Mulki (at that time), and an extended luncheon meeting was also held with the accompanied business delegation. After that, Prime Minister Abe summarized his visit in the joint press conference. In this visit, Prime Minister and His Majesty the King agreed to confirm that the relationships between Japan and Jordan have become strategic partnership. In addition, at this opportunity, an exchange note on grant aid project was signed with a limit of 1,631 million yen for improving waste processing capacity in the northern region of Jordan accepting Syrian refugees. As a whole, it was a truly fruitful visit, as the accompanied business delegation was highly appreciated by the Jordanian side.
(2) Visit of Foreign Minister Mr. Kono
Foreign Minister Mr. Kono visited Jordan from 28 to 30 April, and attended an international conference on terrorism in Aqaba from 28 to 29. Then, Foreign Minister Mr. Kono attended, on the evening of 29, in the hotel at the Dead Sea, the Sixth Ministerial-Level Meeting of the Four-Party Consultative Unit for the “Corridor for Peace and Prosperity”, together with Jordan, Israel and Palestinian Ministers, to have discussion over the progress of the Jericho Agro-Industrial Park (JAIP) and future development of the logistics environment between JAIP and Allenby / King Hussein Bridge. In addition, in the morning of 30 April, in Amman, Foreign Minister Mr. Kono had the bilateral meeting with the US Secretary of State H.E. Mr. Mike Pompeo who visited Jordan immediately after his approval from the U.S. Senate.
(3) Visit of State Minister of Finance Mr. Kihara
State Minister of Finance Mr. Kihara visited Jordan to attend the general meeting of EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) held in the hotel at the Dead Sea from 8 to 9 May. At this opportunity he also visited Zaatari Syrian refugee camp, and met Minister of Planning and International Cooperation H.E. Mr. Imad Fakhoury (at that time). Finance Minister H.E. Mr. Omar Malhas (at that time) also joined, who explained the fiscal and tax reforms of the Jordanian government and expressed strong hopes for Japan's ODA loan offers.
(4) Visit of State Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Sato
From 5 to 7 July, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Sato visited Jordan. He met Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign and Expatriates Affairs H.E. Mr. Zaid Al-Louzi, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Mary Kawar, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat. In addition, State Minister Mr. Sato visited Petra Museum which is under construction with Japanese aid, Zaatari Syrian refugee camp, Northern border with Syria, and the Jordan Center for Counter Extremism supported by Japan via International Organizations.
2. Change of the Government
From the end of May to the beginning of June during the month of Ramadan, there were large demonstrations against the revision bill of the government's income tax law, and price increase measures for electricity and gasoline. On 4 June Prime Minister H.E. Dr. Hani Al-Mulki (at that time) submitted his resignation, and the former Minister of Education H.E. Dr. Omar Al-Razzaz was nominated as the new prime minister, and the Razzaz cabinet was inaugurated on 14 June. Whereas 16 ministers (except Prime Minister) stayed in office from the former cabinet, it is said that the core economic ministers have almost been renewed because the change of the government is partly due to their economic policy. Electricity and gasoline raise was withdrawn by His Majesty the King on 1 June. The income tax reform was withdrawn once, but it seems to be necessary to reform income tax for Jordan's fiscal reconstruction. Therefore, it will be a challenge that the new government must face.
3. Economic Cooperation Relations
On 3 April, in presence of Secretary General of Municipal Affairs H.E. Eng. Waleed Al Utoum, I attended the handing over ceremony of the first batch of the equipment and machinery for solid waste management, including bulldozers and wheel loaders. On 4 April, I also attended the handing over ceremony of the first batch of the equipment and machinery for water sector, in presence of Minister of Water & Irrigation H.E. Mr. Ali Ghzawi (at that time). Furthermore, from March to July, we held a series of ceremonies for playing up Japan's contribution with the international organizations (UNHCR, UNRWA, FAO, UNICEF) that Japan budgeted for refugee projects from the supplementary budget in February this year.
In addition, the Japanese government announced support for a total of 14 million dollars at the international conference for supporting Syrian refugees held in Brussels on 24 April. It includes USD10 million (of which USD2 million is for Jordan) for UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees), which suffers from lack of the budget due to the huge decrease of the U.S. contributions, USD2 million each for UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), of which USD 1 million each for their activities in Jordan. With regard to the support for UNRWA, the project opening ceremony was held at the Bakaa Health Center in Barca Province on 13 May, which includes delivering medicines to 26 health centers operated by UNRWA to provide high-quality health services. Regarding UNHCR, the project opening ceremony was held at Zaatari Syrian Refugee Camp on 26 June with regard to the support project for the medical field in the northeastern region. I attended both of the two opening ceremonies.
At these ceremonies, deep appreciation to the Japanese government was conveyed in the speeches from the Jordanian side and international organizations.
4. My Courtesy Visits to Jordanian VIPs
(1) Courtesy Visits to the Ministers
I made courtesy visit to the Minister of Interior H.E. Mr. Samir Mubaidin on 26 April, and Minister of Agriculture H.E. Mr. Khalid Hanifat on 10 July. Based on the above-mentioned change of government, I made courtesy visits to the newly appointed ministers from the end of June, and heard the policies of the new cabinet (Minister of Public Works and Housing H.E. Yahya Kisbi, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Mary Kawar, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply H.E. Mr. Tarek Al-Hammouri (28 June), Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources H.E. Ms. Hala Zawati (3 July), Minister of Water and Irrigation H.E. Mr. Munir Owais (10 July), Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Affairs H.E. Dr. Rajai Muasher (12 July)), Minister of Social Development H.E. Ms. Hala Latouf (28 July), and Minister of Health H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Al-Sheyab (31 July).
(2) Visit to Aqaba
I traveled to Aqaba on 15 April and made a courtesy visit to, Chief Commissioner of Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) H.E. Mr. Nasser Sultan Shraideh. As the only port in Jordan which faces the Red Sea, Aqaba is the logistical hub, and has strategic importance in a sense that it borders with Israel and Saudi Arabia, and Egypt on the other side of the Aqaba bay. On the other hand, it is also a famous tourist destination with the high transparency of the sea water. Therefore, Aqaba is expected to develop in the future.
5. Relationship with Japanese society
On 16 March, the graduation ceremony of the Japanese Language Supplementary School in Jordan was held at the hall in the Embassy. I also attended the enrollment ceremony at the school garden on 13 April. About 20 school children learn Japanese language eagerly on every Friday.
In addition, I attended the general meeting of the Japanese society in Jordan on 11 May. It is held once every year.
Approximately one-third of the Japanese residents, the number of which is around 320, participated in the general meeting.
6. Japan women national football team’s winning of Asian Cup championship title
For the two weeks from 6 to 20 April, the final round of the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2018 was held at the two stadiums in Amman, in which eight teams participated. Nadeshiko Japan, the Japanese women’s national Football team, fought five games and won the championship wonderfully. It was also a very important competition because it was at the same time dedicated to the qualifying round for the Women's Football World Cup to be held in France next year, and five teams out of eight will be given a ticket to participate in it. In the primary league, although Japan won the first game against Vietnam, the following two games against Republic of Korea and Australia were difficult which resulted in draw. However, by defeating China in the semifinal and Australia in the final, Nadeshiko Japan finally won the championship, following the previous tournament held in Vietnam in 2014.
7. Information for Safety
Finally, I would like to draw your attention a little about everyone’s safety.
A robbery case occurred in the ruins of Jelash in early June, in which a Japanese male was injured. He got his arm scratched, but fortunately, it did not reach any further serious situation. In Jordan, today the general security level does not seem to be the same as last year, as general economic conditions become difficult. In comparison with the countries in the Middle East, the security situation in Jordan is not so serious yet, but please be aware of paying attention especially in places with little traffic and at night.
Please pay your full attention to your safety, such as by obtaining the latest related information by covering news and social media, or by not approaching places carelessly, where a large number of people gather.
Finally, when you travel outside of the country, please register your travel in “TABI-REGI".
Hidenao Yanagi
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Jordan
<Previous Greetings>
Speech at the Launching Ceremony of a New Project of UNRWA
Visit to the Clinic in Zaatari Refugee Camp
Courtesy Visit to Minister of Planning and International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Kawar
State Minister Mr. Sato's visit to Zaatari Refugee Camp
Japan-Jordan Summit Meeting