THE UNITED STATES AND JORDAN SIGNED SUNDAY FOUR GRANT AGREEMENTS FOR THE US TO EXTEND 247.5 MILLION DOLLARS IN ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE, THE US EMBASSY SAID IN AMMAN, ACCORDING TO DPA. THE ACCORDS CONSTITUTE THE OVERALL US REGULAR ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE PACKAGE TO THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM FOR FISCAL 2006, THE EMBASSY SAID. UNDER ONE AGREEMENT, THE US PLEDGED 117.5 MILLION DOLLARS IN BALANCE OF PAYMENTS SUPPORT THAT WOULD ENABLE AMMAN TO REDUCE ITS FOREIGN DEBT BURDEN AND STRENGTHEN ITS FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES. A GRANT OF 37 MILLION DOLLARS WILL BE UTILIZED TO FINANCE PLANS TO BOOST ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CREATE JOB OPPORTUNITIES. UNDER THE OTHER AGREEMENTS, THE US GRANTS WILL SUPPORT THE JORDANIAN GOVERNMENT'S PROGRAMMES IN THE AREAS OF WATER, HEALTH, EDUCATION AND GOVERNANCE, THE EMBASSY STATEMENT SAID. SPEAKING AT THE SIGNING CEREMONY, US AMBASSADOR DAVID HALE STRESSED THE "STRONG AND LASTING COMMITMENT OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING JORDAN'S EFFORTS IN BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE FOR ITS CITIZENS." WASHINGTON RECENTLY DECIDED AN ADDITIONAL GRANT OF 50 MILLION DOLLARS TO JORDAN THAT RAISES THE TOTAL US ECONOMIC AID TO THE COUNTRY FOR FISCAL 2006 TO 297.5 MILLION DOLLARS, AN OFFICIAL JORDANIAN STATEMENT SAID.
