U.S. Embassy in Jordan

U.S.-JORDAN RELATIONS The United States deeply values its long history of cooperation and friendship with Jordan, with which it established diplomatic relations in 1949. The United States appreciates the special leadership role that Jordan plays in advancing peace and moderation in the region. The United States and Jordan share the mutual goals of a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in the Middle East and an end to violent extremism that threatens the security of Jordan, the region, and the entire globe. The peace process and Jordan’s opposition to terrorism parallel and indirectly assist wider U.S. interests. U.S. policy seeks to reinforce Jordan’s commitment to peace, stability, and moderation. In light of ongoing regional unrest, the United States has helped Jordan maintain its stability and prosperity through economic and military assistance and through close political cooperation. The United States encourages Jordanian efforts to continue to implement key political and economic reforms that will secure a better future for the Jordanian people. From 1949 to 1967, Jordan administered the West Bank. Since the 1967 war between Israel and several Arab states, when Israel took control of this territory, the United States has considered the West Bank to be territory occupied by Israel. The United States believes that the final status of the West Bank can be determined only through negotiations among the concerned parties based on UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338. U.S. Assistance to Jordan The United States continues to work with Jordan to improve the lives of Jordanian citizens. Assistance programs contribute to a strong bilateral relationship centered on a stable, reform-oriented Jordan. Development assistance has resulted in improved health indicators, road and water networks, hundreds of schools built, thousands of Jordanians in various fields educated and trained in the U.S., grants and loans for U.S. agricultural commodities, and assistance for Jordanian communities hosting refugees from Syria. Current focus areas include education, access to water, resource management and conservation, energy, refugee host community resilience, youth and poverty alleviation programs, maternal/child health, energy, governance, macroeconomic policy, workforce development, and competitiveness. A strong U.S. military assistance program is designed to meet Jordan’s legitimate defense needs, including preservation of border integrity and regional stability through the provision of materiel and training. In 2008, the U.S. and Jordan signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) to provide assistance to Jordan over a 5-year period, pending the availability of funds. The MOU reinforces the commitment to broaden cooperation and dialogue between the two countries in a variety of areas. In February 2014, President Obama announced that the United States will renew the MOU. In 2013 and 2014, the U.S. provided Jordan $2.25 billion in loan guarantees, allowing Jordan access to affordable financing from international capital markets. In 2011, a Millennium Challenge Corporation compact for Jordan entered into force that aims to increase income and reduce poverty in Zarqa Governorate. The compact seeks to increase water supplies available to households and businesses and improve the efficiency of water delivery, extend wastewater collection, and expand wastewater treatment. Bilateral Economic Relations Qualifying Industrial Zones established by the U.S. Congress allow products to enter the United States duty-free if manufactured in Israel, Jordan, Egypt, or the West Bank and Gaza. The U.S.-Jordan free trade agreement (FTA), the U.S.’s first FTA with an Arab country, has expanded the trade relationship by reducing barriers for services, providing cutting-edge protection for intellectual property, ensuring regulatory transparency, and requiring effective labor and environmental enforcement. The United States and Jordan have an “open skies” civil aviation agreement; a bilateral investment treaty; a science and technology cooperation agreement; and a memorandum of understanding on nuclear energy cooperation. Such agreements bolster efforts to help diversify Jordan’s economy and promote growth. Membership in International Organizations Jordan and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Jordan also is a Partner for Cooperation with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Jordan is currently serving a two-year term as a non-permanent member on the UN Security Council, which began January 2014. Bilateral Representation Jordan maintains an embassy in the United States at 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202-966-2664).