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Foreign minister reviews ministry’s 2022 budget, expenditures

By JT - Jan 19,2022 - Last updated at Jan 19,2022

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi attends a meeting of the parliamentary finance committee on Wednesday (Petra photo)

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Wednesday reviewed the ministry’s 2022 budget and expenditures, which are estimated to be JD52 million.

During a meeting of the parliamentary finance committee, Safadi described the budget as “modest” considering the ministry’s global role and presence, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The committee continued deliberations over the draft 2022 state budget and the draft 2022 budgets of independent public institutions.

Mohammad Al Saudi MP, who chaired the meeting, said that the committee discussed the two draft laws. 

Safadi said that the state-owned missions and ambassador residences total 48, emphasising the ministry’s efforts in reducing lease missions and councils through implementing a lease purchase system.

He also highlighted the Kingdom’s efforts to contact and coordinate with Palestinians, Arabs and the US administration, among other countries, stressing that a comprehensive and fair solution based on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines, alongside Israel, is the sole way to peace.

On the Syrian issue, Safadi reiterated the Kingdom’s firm stance, stressing there is “no choice but the political solution” to preserve Syria’s unity, territorial integrity and stability.

Jordan is home to 1.6 million Syrian refugees with only 10 per cent living in camps, he said, highlighting the pressure on the Kingdom’s infrastructure amid the declining international support for refugees.

The Kingdom has 60 oversees diplomatic missions, 70 honorary consulates, 160 missions accredited to the Royal Court and 66 honorary consulates at the Royal Court. A total of 57 embassies are electronically linked with the ministry, Petra added.

The committee discussed a set of issues related to the ministry's budget, the work of the Kingdom’s oversees embassies and diplomatic missions, with talks also referring to the impact of regional issues on Jordan.

The MPs also called for drawing up a plan to buy facilities for the Kingdom’s embassies abroad instead of leasing properties to cut spending, Petra reported.

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