Jordan, partners steer their way towards economic integration

By Abeer Numan

AMMAN - Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey will develop a joint sectoral outlook to arrive at economic integration, Minister of Transport Alaa Batayneh said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a joint press conference with transport ministers of the three partners, Batayneh said each country was entrusted with examining means to develop a certain economic sector from those earlier designated as priority sectors.

Jordan was entrusted with the transport sector, Syria with energy, Lebanon with tourism and Turkey with industry, Batayneh noted.

Stressing the importance of land, sea and air transport projects among the quartet cooperation council, Batayneh said: “Once we realize transport integration among the four countries, we will be able to tackle other aspects of cooperation.”

Yesterday’s round of talks was the first held by the council, which was launched at a meeting of the quartet’s foreign ministers in New York in September last year during which they renewed commitment to a statement issued by the four countries in Istanbul in June of the same year on boosting cooperation.

After intensive technical meetings on Tuesday, the four countries yesterday signed a communiqué that stipulates the formation of a higher steering committee and other technical committees that will examine and unify related legislation, Batayneh explained.

The sectoral committees, to be chaired by the secretaries general of the concerned ministries, will work in parallel, he said.

The officials in charge will discuss all transport issues, including customs, to streamline and increase the flow of goods and passengers among the four countries, he elaborated, noting that the partner countries have already lifted visa requirements.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Batayneh and Syria’s Transport Minister Yarub Badr yesterday signed minutes of the board meeting of the Jordanian Syrian Land Transport Company.

Moreover, Batayneh, Badr and Lebanon Transport Minister Ghazi Aridi signed a cooperation agreement on the proposed regional railway connectivity project and financing joint studies of technical issues.

Underling the importance of the political will to achieve more efficient connectivity, Turkey’s Minister of Transport Binali Yildirim said: “Each country will boost its infrastructure individually, to achieve economic integration between the north and the south.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Samir Rifai met on Tuesday with the visiting transport ministers, in the presence of Batayneh, who briefed him on the outcome of their meetings.

During the meeting, discussions focused on means to boost transport cooperation among the four countries.

Rifai emphasized the importance of focusing on the regional railway project, underlining its economic and commercial importance.

The premier also urged the transport officials to examine the possibility of expanding their air transport deals to reach Latin American countries to meet the travel needs of Arab and Turkish residents there.

6 January 2011

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=33226.