Speech by

Ms.Inge Toschev

German Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour  (BMWA)

Your Excellency Minister Zubi,

Excellence Ambassador Van der Meulen,

Director General  Dr. Khayyat,

Dear Colleagues from Germany,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is a great pleasure for me to celebrate today with you the opening of a new chapter of German Jordanian cooperation. Under the umbrella of the European neighborhood policy, reaching out to our Mediterranean and Middle Eastern partners, this EU Twinning Project in the field of standards and metrology is one important element to strengthen the economic and political ties between Jordan and Europe.

German agencies have been working together with the Jordan Institution for Standards and Metrology since the early nineties. With the EU Twinning Project we begin now this cooperation is deepen and will gain a new quality. We now set out for an intensive and broad exchange of know how directly between the competent authorities and institutions on both sides.

On the German side the main partners are the Federal Ministry of Economics and Labor, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, The German Institute of Standardization and the National Metrology Institute. The Resident Twinning Advisor Dr. Gossler will, supported by two Jordanian assistants, coordinate the contribution of numerous short-and medium-time experts from Germany. In the average two and  a half German experts will be present in Jordan each day during the next 22 months.

Well defined standards and a sound metrology are major basis for economic development in a global environment. The implementation and surveillance of standards will help Jordanian industry to export its goods to Europe and other markets. Move easily will make exchange of goods and services more efficient in the domestic and foreign markets.

It will also protect consumers by safeguarding product quality.

Consequently, the private sector and the chambers of commerce and industry are major stakeholders in this project as well as the authorities, among others the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the customs department not to forget the important role non governmental organizations like the consumer protection society or scientific bodies as the Royal Scientific will have to play. All those I omitted in my short enumeration will have to forgive me, but speaking time is short.

Finally I would like to thank the Ministry of Industry and Trade and JISM that they chose to continue and enhance their cooperation with Germany in the field of standards and metrology through this Twinning. We expect it to be a common Endeavour to the benefit of both sides. We believe that the German system of standards  and metrology has to offer longstanding experience and practices that can be useful for Jordan. And of course I do trust that this project will contribute of further deepen the economic ties between Jordan and Germany and thus help German industry to strengthen its position in the region.

I would also like to thank the Federal Ministry of Economics and Labor which, based on its broad experience in Twinnings with Central and Eastern European countries, decided to reach out into the Middle East. I am convinced that Jordan, which is an anchor of modernization and stability in the region, is an excellent choice for this step.

Ladies and Gentlemen, may this cooperation prosper succeed ! thank you for your attention.