Time to say goodbye to Jordan

After three-and- a -half intense years, I am leaving this amazing country at a time when historic ties between Jordan and Italy are stronger and tighter, having witnessed developments in different fields, ranging from the political to the cultural domain, from the commercial sector to the development cooperation activities.

These links were strengthened first of all by means of visits at the highest possible level. The Italian President of the Republic Prof. Sergio Mattarella visited Jordan in April 2019, paving the way for following missions. The Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio came to Amman in January 2021, while the Vice Minister for International Cooperation Marina Sereni visited Jordan in May 2021. Rooted in the solidity of the friendship that binds our peoples and nations, those visits proved to be an opportunity to share views and launch new initiatives in the context of new global challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic — unfortunately — among others.

Italy and Jordan continue to cooperate side by side in regional security challenges, in the shared belief that crises affecting the Middle East and the Mediterranean  —  our common region — must be tackled from a multilateral perspective, where the EU can play a very effective role, together with G-7 and G-20 (the latter chaired by Italy in 2021), in coordination with local actors. Bilateral consultations in this regard were frequent and meaningful and involved not only diplomats, but also other relevant security actors, becoming in time more and more strategic for mutual benefit.

Moreover, Italy and Jordan share a common vision of prosperity as economic inclusion, supporting SMEs and facilitating their entry into global value chains. We have also jointly decided to strengthen trade and investments through specific projects and private sector meetings. The World Trade Organisation reform, of course, will continue to be a priority for us, as well as the digital revolution into an engine of opportunity for all, as tools to foster social inclusion. This is particularly true in these challenging post-pandemic years. We stood and will continue to stand ready to support a rising economic recovery in the country.

As a demonstration of our commitment, the Italian support to the development of the Kingdom continued to grow, through different initiatives and, more recently, thanks to a Memorandum on Development Cooperation, signed by Vice Minister Sereni in 2021. The memorandum is focused on few priority sectors: Agriculture, food security, preservation of cultural heritage and promotion of sustainable tourism (in Petra, Shobak, Madaba, Jerash, Amman just to provide some examples) and foresees a total allocation of 215 million euro in both grants and soft loans for the period 2021-2023. These resources complement the 180 million euros allocated for humanitarian assistance, to address the refugee emergency in the region in the framework of the Brussels Conferences, in favour of both the most vulnerable Syrian refugees and host communities. In this context, collaboration with Jordanian authorities, UN Funds and Programmes, and NGOs has proved extremely effective. 

Last but not least, culture was one of the cornerstones of our interactions along these years. I firmly believe that cultural exchanges and people-to-people diplomacy are among the strongest tools to ensure solid ties between countries. That is why we promoted exhibitions of Italian paintings, photographs, artifacts, music concerts, theatre and cinema. We supported exchanges of students and researchers and cooperation among universities and academic centres (also through our archaeological missions). Among other initiatives, Italy is very proud to support SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East), a centre of excellence and a strong advocate of science-for-peace, both financially and in terms of highly qualified human and scientific resources. In light of the importance of Jordan in the area, Foreign Minister Di Maio announced during his visit the opening of an Italian cultural centre in Amman. I am sad to leave at a moment when this is becoming reality, but I am proud at the same time to have witnessed the birth of yet another pillar of the Italian presence in the country, which will contribute greatly  —  I am convinced about this  —  in the further strengthening of our relations.

During my term, even in the difficult pandemic phase, I was deeply touched by Jordanian hospitality and by the closeness of many sincere friends. I would like to seize this occasion to thank for the warm welcome I received when I arrived and along these years, and to commend Jordan’s deeply rooted humanity. It is indeed one of its many intangible treasures, beyond the worldwide known ones. I am confident that Jordan and Italy will continue to play a constructive role in the region and in the Mediterranean, a privileged place of exchanges and friendship that can be developed furthermore.

The writer is ambassador of Italy to Jordan