President of European Bank to visit Jordan next week

President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Suma Chakrabarti will visit Jordan on March 17. During the visit, the first official trip to Jordan since he assumed his responsibilities as President of the Bank, Chakrabarti will meet Prime Minister Abdallah Ensour, Minister of Energy and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Jaafar Hassan. According to a press release by the bank, Chakrabarti will also hold talks with Governor of the Central Bank Ziad Fariz and business representatives. Last February, the government signed an agreement with the bank, according to which the bank would set up a permanent representation in the Kingdom. In line with the government’s own priorities, EBRD investments will help to develop the private sector, fostering the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises across a range of sectors as a way of helping to tackle the high level of youth unemployment. The visit will also focus on promoting energy efficiency. The EBRD expects to be investing up to €2.5 billion by 2015 across the southern and eastern Mediterranean region which comprises Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia.