The government decided today (Sunday) to speed up the establishment of the Shaar Jordan project - an industrial and employment zone shared by Israel and the Kingdom of Jordan, which is expected to be built on the border between the countries in the Emek Ma'ayan area, near Kibbutz Tirat Zvi.
Prime Minister Lapid said he finalized the details on the issue with King Abdullah, at their meeting in Amman last week.
The initial idea to establish a common industrial park for the two countries came up at the time of the signing of the peace agreement with Jordan in 1994, but since then it has not yet matured.
In recent years, the Office for Regional Cooperation, in cooperation with the Emek Ma'a'ain Regional Council, promoted the plans for the development of the park, and worked to remove bureaucratic and legal barriers.
Back in 1998, an agreement in principle was signed between Israel and Jordan regarding the establishment of the park.
Israel allocated 245 dunams for the project near Kibbutz Tirat Zvi and the Jordanians allocated about 700 dunams on the other side of the border.
Since then, two more government decisions have been made to advance the project, but on the ground things have been lazily conducted.
However, the Israeli part of the park already exists in the territory itself, and in addition, a bridge connecting Israel and Jordan will be built, which will be used as a crossing to the Jordanian part.
Between the two parts of the park will operate a terminal designed by the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry for Regional Cooperation, in cooperation with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Economy and the Airports Authority.
The terminal, which will be operated by the Airports Authority, will allow for the rapid passage of pedestrians, and should make it easier for entrepreneurs on both sides of the border to cooperate.
It will also include a building to accommodate businessmen and guests who will come from the Jordanian side for business purposes.
"28 years after the establishment of the peace agreement with Jordan, we are taking the good neighborly relations between the two countries another step forward," said Prime Minister Lapid.
"This is a breakthrough that will greatly contribute to the development and strengthening of the region. This is an initiative that will bring employment to both countries, advance our economic and political relations, and deepen the peace and friendship between the two countries. The park will create joint ventures of trade, technology and local industry."
|We managed to lead a significant progress". Isavi Frij, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
The Minister of Regional Cooperation, Issawi Frij, said: "Accelerating efforts in the Jordan Gate project was one of the main tasks of the Ministry of Regional Cooperation in the past year. We were able to lead significant progress after a period full of barriers and obstacles.
"This is part of the great progress we have made in strengthening ties with Jordan in the past year, first within the framework of an agreement to export water in exchange for solar electricity, and now with this decision that further advances the vision of civil peace, not only between the countries, but between the peoples. The peace between us is incomplete without economic cooperation and citizens who allow the citizens of the countries to enjoy its fruits."
Minister of Transportation Merav Michaeli added: "I welcome any action to improve relations with the Kingdom of Jordan. Jordan is a strategic partner, and is of crucial importance to the stability of the entire region. I am committed to doing whatever is required to establish our relationship with the Kingdom and help advance the common goals of it and the State of Israel ".
The industrial park project is not the only project that is on the agenda in cooperation with Jordan.
Last year, the two countries signed a huge project, in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, under which Jordan is supposed to build a solar farm on its territory that will supply electricity to Israel, in exchange for the construction of a desalination plant on the Mediterranean coast (probably in the Western Galilee region), which will supply water to the arid kingdom.
The huge infrastructure project is supposed to be financed, at least in part, by officials from the Emirates who will invest in it in return for part of the profits.
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