Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05AMMAN1515
2005-02-23 14:47:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

Jordan Re-engaging with Israel, U.S. on TRIDE

Tags:  ETRD EIND ECON PREL EAID IS JO 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001515 

SIPDIS

State for NEA/RA, NEA/IPA, and NEA/ELA
Commerce for 4520/ITA/MAC/AMESA/OME/CLoustaunau

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD EIND ECON PREL EAID IS JO
SUBJECT: Jordan Re-engaging with Israel, U.S. on TRIDE
Development Fund

Sensitive but Unclassified - Protect Accordingly.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001515

SIPDIS

State for NEA/RA, NEA/IPA, and NEA/ELA
Commerce for 4520/ITA/MAC/AMESA/OME/CLoustaunau

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD EIND ECON PREL EAID IS JO
SUBJECT: Jordan Re-engaging with Israel, U.S. on TRIDE
Development Fund

Sensitive but Unclassified - Protect Accordingly.


1. (SBU) Summary: Representatives from Jordan, Israel and
the United States met in Amman on February 16 to discuss
collaboration under the Trilateral Industrial Research and
Development fund (TRIDE). Jordan is now ready to re-engage
on TRIDE. Each of the three countries has committed one-
third of a million dollars for a new round of TRIDE grants.
End summary.

Consultation Meeting Takes Place in Amman
--------------

2. (SBU) Then-Jordanian Ministry of Planning and
International Cooperation (MOPIC) Secretary General Dr.
Tayseer Smadi hosted the TRIDE meeting at MOPIC's offices on
February 16. Dr. Smadi, promoted to Minister on February
20, restated Jordan's commitment to providing USD 330,000 in
funding for TRIDE. Smadi said that the GOJ is firmly
committed to TRIDE and wants to move forward. He emphasized
the need for outreach into the corporate world to promote
TRIDE projects, for good communication between TRIDE
partners, and for sustainability, in other words profitable
projects. He said that the GOJ wants to be an active
participant because of the benefits that TRIDE will bring to
Jordanian companies and the country's scientific and
economic development.

Background
--------------

3. (U) TRIDE is a Peace Process pilot project begun in 1996
to promote joint industrial R&D projects between Jordan,
Israel and the United States. TRIDE funded three projects
in the late 1990's but became dormant when the second
intifada started. Israel, Jordan and the United States each
contributed USD 0.3 million to the initial pilot phase.


4. (SBU) In a November 16, 2004 meeting in Washington, then-
MOPIC Minister Bassem Awadallah told NEA/REA Senior Advisor
for S&T Chuck Lawson that the Jordanian Cabinet had approved
a second tranche of funding (USD 330,000) for TRIDE and was
ready to re-engage. The Cabinet also designated MOPIC as
the new point of contact for TRIDE. In the initial phase,

the President of the Royal Scientific Society was the
Jordanian member of the Executive Committee and the Society
was responsible for technical reviews. At the February 16
meeting in Amman, then-SG Smadi said the Secretary General
of MOPIC would be the Jordanian member of the TRIDE
Executive Committee. The Director for Industrial
Development in the Ministry of Trade will be responsible for
technical reviews of proposed projects.

Solid Projects Needed for Sustainability
--------------

5. (SBU) In the February 16 meeting, Israeli BIRD Executive
Director Dov Hershberg and Program Director Uri Attir gave a
presentation on the mechanisms of TRIDE and emphasized the
need for commercially viable projects. (Note: BIRD is the
Israeli-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development
Foundation. BIRD staff provides administrative support to
TRIDE. End note). The TRIDE representatives of each country
will play an active role in matchmaking Jordanian, Israeli
and American companies, they said. Using the BIRD
Foundation to administer TRIDE will capitalize on BIRD's
experience in managing international R&D projects and will
cut expenses by using an existing administrative resource.

Suggestion for Expanding TRIDE: 3 year, $10 Million Program
-------------- --------------

6. (SBU) BIRD Executive Director Hershberg said that a
commitment totaling USD 10 million, shared equally between
Jordan, the United States and Israel, would enable TRIDE to
offer meaningful support. He said that having a typical
grant of USD 600,000 per project and an average of five
projects per year would create a ripple effect that will
draw global companies to invest in similar business
opportunities. (Comment: None of the three countries has
yet committed funds for an expanded TRIDE effort. Smadi
stated that Jordan was likely to seek donor assistance for
any expanded funding effort. End comment).

Participants
--------------

7. (SBU) JORDAN
-- Dr. Tayseer Smadi, then-Secretary General, Ministry of
Planning and International Cooperation
-- Wissam Akroush, staff, Industrial Development Department,
Ministry of Trade and Industry
-- Amer Hadidi former TRIDE contact and Director of
Industrial Development at Ministry of Trade and Industry,
now Chief Executive of Public Sector Reform Administration
at the Ministry of State for Public Sector Reform

ISRAEL
-- Dov Hershberg, Executive Director, Bi-National Industrial
R&D Foundation (BIRD)
-- Uri Attir, Program Director, BIRD
-- Ilan Baruch, Head of Middle Eastern Economic Affairs
Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
-- Daniel Nevo, Deputy Chief of Mission, Israeli Embassy in
Amman

UNITED STATES
-- Robert Tansey, Environment, Science, Technology and
Health (ESTH) Officer, Embassy Tel Aviv
-- Greg Lawless, Econoff, Embassy Amman
-- Rana Safadi, ESTH Specialist, Embassy Amman


8. (SBU) The next steps are to identify a project before the
executive committee meeting (TBD) and begin publicizing
TRIDE. Smadi agreed to check the mechanics of transferring
Jordan's contribution to the TRIDE fund.

HALE