Italian FM due in Jordan to get first-hand look at refugee crisis

AMMAN — Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini is due in Amman on Saturday in her first visit to the Kingdom since she assumed office in February this year, an Italian embassy official said Thursday.

During her two-day visit, Italy’s top diplomat is scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and other officials, according to the embassy.

The main purpose of the visit is “to get a first-hand idea about the humanitarian Syrian crisis and the situation here, in addition to the regional situation in general”, an embassy official told The Jordan Times.

Mogherini is also scheduled to visit the Azraq Refugee Camp, which is currently hosting more than 6,000 Syrian refugees, as the Italian government plans to build a hospital there.

The camp, some 100km east of Amman and spread over 15 square kilometres, will eventually be able to accommodate up to 130,000 people.

The Italian government “has been supporting Jordan in its endeavour to assist the Syrian refugees since the very beginning of the crisis”, an embassy statement said. 

In the last two years, Italy invested “more than 6.5 million euros in Jordan” through contributions to UN agencies and through direct assistance “with a particular focus on health, protection and support to the hosting communities”. 

A further 3 million euros will be disbursed in support of the activities of UN agencies in Jordan, the statement said. 

Since 2011 Italy has been “the first supplier of Jordan” among EU member states, according to the embassy. In 2013, Italy was the fifth on a global scale (after Saudi Arabia, China, the US and India).

Citing figures from the Italian Statistics Institution, the embassy said bilateral trade in 2013 reached 753.2 million euros (around JD724.5 million), with a 4.4 per cent increase compared to 2012. 

Italian exports increased by 6.6 per cent, rising to 711 million euros, while imports “decreased significantly” by 21.8 per cent, reaching 42 million euros.

Italy exports refined petroleum products, metals and metal products, mechanical and electrical equipments, high quality food and clothes to the Kingdom.

Italy is scheduled to hold the presidency of the Council of the European Union between July 1 and December 31, according to the statement.