US embassy cable - 05AMMAN3794

UNCLAS AMMAN 003794 
 
SIPDIS 
 
State for OES - PDAS Rock, DAS McMurray 
 
EPA for Assistant Administrator Ayres 
 
From the Charge d'Affaires 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, JO 
SUBJECT: Support Funding Environmental Economist at Jordan 
Environment Ministry 
 
Ref: A) 2004 Amman 8087, B) Amman 3358 
 
1.  Embassy Amman supports the proposal for an EPA 
environmental economist to work at the Jordanian Ministry of 
Environment with funding from the OES Initiative (OESI) 
grant program.  This project was agreed to at the September 
2004 Joint Environment Forum (Ref A), and post understands 
that there is an opportunity under the OESI to move forward 
on implementing our agreement. 
 
2.  The environmental economist was a top priority for the 
Jordanian Ministry of Environment under three consecutive 
ministers (Ref B).  Meeting this priority will demonstrate 
our commitment to a partnership with Jordan on the 
environment and to the U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement 
(FTA) and its Joint Statement on Environmental Technical 
Cooperation, with ripple effects that will support other 
FTAs. 
 
3.  Approval of the OESI is the critical next step.  With 
that in place, post will finalize housing and other support 
arrangements through discussion with EPA and State/OES. 
 
HALE