Amman: At the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, on Thursday, in the presence of Minister of Planning Zeina Touqan and German Ambassador to Amman Bertram von Moltke, Minister of Agriculture Khaled Al-Hunaifat signed a grant agreement with Country Director of the German Development Bank (KfW) office in Jordan Matthias Schmidt-Rosen for a project funded by the German government worth 14.45 million euros to help implement the country's afforestation program.
According to Jordan News Agency, the German aid is part of Jordan's response strategy to the Syrian crisis and includes this funding. The initiative will create jobs for agricultural engineers and temporary job opportunities for Jordanians and Syrian refugees during the program's implementation period. Touqan praised the German government's ongoing support for Jordan in the Kingdom's development efforts and its assistance in bearing the burdens resulting from the Syrian refugee crisis. The Minister also emphasized the importance of support within the framework of the Jordanian response plan to the Syrian crisis.
Al-Hunaifat highlighted the significance of this assistance in enlarging the green space and halting desertification, pointing out the agricultural sector's numerous social and economic ties as well as its role in bolstering the national economy. The German ambassador stated that his nation supports Jordan's national afforestation program to lessen the consequences of climate change and create jobs in host communities. He emphasized that the collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture on this project will help Jordan undergo a green and sustainable transition and noted that planting trees with economic value will assist nearby communities even more.