Aug 25,2015
Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour is greeted by his Swedish counterpart Stefan Löfven ahead of talks in Stockholm on Tuesday (Petra photo)
AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Tuesday said Jordan is among the poorest three countries in the world when it comes to water.
The situation is aggravated by the huge influxes of refugees from neighbouring countries, he said, citing the fact that the Kingdom currently hosts around 1.4 million Syrian refugees, 40 per cent whose cost is paid by international donors, while Jordan incurs the rest.
Ensour made his remarks during his meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven that was on the schedule of his several-day official visit to Sweden, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
The two officials discussed bilateral cooperation and Ensour commended Sweden for holding the 2015 World Water Week on a regular basis despite the fact that the Scandinavian country is rich in water resources, a stand he described as “worthy of respect”.
The global meeting is important to Jordan as a platform to outline project it plans to implement to improve the water situation in the Kingdom, he told his Swedish counterpart.
The premier highlighted the Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Project that Jordan has in the pipeline, noting that the mega-scheme would contribute to solving the country’s water crisis and supply Palestine and Israel with water.
Moreover, he said the project would boost peaceful coexistence among future generations.
The prime minister said Jordan looks forward to benefiting from Swedish technical expertise in the Dead Sea project, especially since the other major goal is to save the unique water body from drying up.
He stressed that saving the Dead Sea is an international responsibility because of its historic, environmental and therapeutic significance.
Löfven commended the Jordanian-Swedish relations and hailed Jordan’s efforts in hosting refugees, and seeking to enhance security and stability in the region.
The two sides discussed also the developments in the region, particularly the Palestinian issue, agreeing that establishing an independent Palestinian state is a prerequisite to peace in the Middle East.
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