Amman -The Jordanian and Japanese governments signed grant memorandums with a value of (750) million Japanese yen (5) million US dollars, which will be provided to the Kingdom to purchase road maintenance equipment and vehicles for the Ministry of Public Works and Housing.

The memorandums were signed on behalf of the Jordanian government by Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan, and on behalf of the Japanese government, by the Japanese Ambassador to Amman, Mr. OKUYAMA Jiro, in the presence of Minister of Public Works and Housing, Eng. Maher Abu Al-Samen, and several officials from the Japanese Embassy in Amman.

Minister Toukan explained that the provision of this grant comes in response from the Japanese government to the request of the Jordanian government, as this project aims to increase the capacities of the Ministry of Public Works and Housing by modernizing its old vehicles and replacing them with modern, low-carbon, environmentally friendly vehicles that will contribute to the implementation of its plans to maintain and improve the quality of roads and raise their efficiency to reduce road accidents, and maintain and sustain 320 kilometers of Highway 15 (the desert Highway from Amman to Aqaba), and of the Dead Sea Highway, which are considered among the most important economic access roads according to the priorities of the executive program of the Economic Modernization Vision 2023-2025.

Minister Toukan expressed her thanks and appreciation to the government and people of Japan for their continued support to the Kingdom and stressed that Jordan attaches great importance to its bilateral relations with Japan, pointing to the depth and history of the relations that bind the two sides, as this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

For his part, the Japanese Ambassador to Amman affirmed his government's commitment to continue providing various financial and technical support programs to Jordan in various areas of common interest, in a way that contributes to developing and strengthening bilateral relations between the two friendly countries, pointing out that the vehicles intended to be financed through this grant will be used to maintain roads linking cities and villages in Jordan, which will contribute to developing the tourism and trade sectors within the "Economic Modernization Vision." He added that Japan contributes to support Jordan's current efforts in areas of economic and political reforms, praising the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as a role model to be emulated in the region in this field.