Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02AMMAN4864
2002-08-28 06:07:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

JORDAN'S DIPLOMATS FOCUS ON TRADE AND INVESTMENT

Tags:  ECON BEXP PREL JO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004864 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

FSI FOR DIRECTOR KATHY PETERSON AND LISA FOX/ED KASKA
USTR FOR SAUMS/BELL
USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/PTHANOS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON BEXP PREL JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN'S DIPLOMATS FOCUS ON TRADE AND INVESTMENT


SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004864

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

FSI FOR DIRECTOR KATHY PETERSON AND LISA FOX/ED KASKA
USTR FOR SAUMS/BELL
USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/PTHANOS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON BEXP PREL JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN'S DIPLOMATS FOCUS ON TRADE AND INVESTMENT


SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.


1. (sbu) Summary. Reflecting the emphasis he has put
on economic and commercial development and the growing
private sector export and investment orientation of
Jordan's economy, King Abdullah personally launched a
four-day USAID-supported economic/commercial training
program for Jordanian ambassadors on August 14. This
follows a decision by the king to reorient the work of
Jordan's ambassadors, who have traditionally focused on
political and cultural activities, toward increased
support for Jordan's business community -- as symbolized
by the appointment of prominent businessman Karim Kawar
as ambassador to the United States. The foreign ministry
is planning to follow up with a broader econ/commercial
training initiative for all of Jordan's diplomatic corps.
End summary.

--------------
King Opens Investment Promotion Forum
--------------


2. (sbu) On August 14, King Abdullah officially opened
a four-day conference designed to train and encourage
Jordanian ambassadors to increase their focus on
promoting investment and trade. The August 13-16
program, which had low-profile funding support from
USAID's AMIR program, included short modules on the roles
of Jordan's various trade promotion agencies (JIB,
JEDCO). In addition, respective economic ministers gave
presentations on the work of the ministries of trade,
telecom, finance, and planning. The Charge gave a well-
received presentation on opportunities for Jordanian
ambassadors to use the U.S.-Jordan FTA to promote
Jordanian trade as well as inward and outward investment.
The EU charge gave a similar presentation.


3. (u) The program also featured familiarization visits
to Jordan's largest industrial estate, a Qualified
Industrial Zone (QIZ),and a tour of the new Aqaba
Special Economic Zone, in an effort to enthuse the
assembled ambassadors about the kingdom's most promising
export sectors and its comparative advantages as an
investment destination. Ambassadors by and large came
away energized about promoting investment in their
countries of responsibility, and the program was deemed a
success by both foreign ministry reps and by the palace's
economic unit, which organized the program.

--------------
King Heralds New Focus for Ambassadors
--------------


4. (sbu) This first-of-its-kind program was an
outgrowth of the king's desire to have ambassadors abroad
do more commercial work. An indication of this shift was
the king's appointment of Karim Kawar, a successful IT
entrepreneur with no previous government experience, to
be Jordan's ambassador in Washington. According to
Kawar, the king told him upon his appointment: "You
focus on trade and investment promotion; handling the
political relationship is my job." Kawar said the king
instructed him that his first responsibility would be to
create success stories from the FTA.


5. (u) The king reiterated this message to all his
ambassadors during the opening. To encourage this new
focus, the king announced that, starting in 2003, the
palace would present an award to the ambassador with the
most impressive economic performance each year. He
highlighted the expanding role of Jordan's private sector
as the motor of economic growth.

--------------
Comment
--------------


6. (sbu) This program is further evidence of the
seriousness with which the king and Jordan treat economic
and commercial issues. In addition to the USAID support,
the embassy's econ section worked with the foreign
ministry and the king's economic advisor to design the
program. As part of our ongoing effort to press ahead
with effective implementation of the FTA, we will
encourage similar training activities in the future with
segments devoted to the FTA. In the short term, we will
continue to follow-up with the palace and ministry by 1)
providing information on the State Department's Cobb
Award, and 2) working with them to design a broader trade
and investment promotion training program for Jordanian
diplomats, which will be led by the foreign ministry's
Diplomatic Institute. We will continue our initial
discussions with NFATC regarding its possible help in
developing such a program.
Berry