Jordanian PM says Arab central banks can avert economic threats

AMMAN: Speaker of Jordan’s House of Representatives Atef Tarawneh meets with Kuwaiti Ambassador to Jordan Aziz Al-Daihani. —KUNA

AMMAN: Speaker of Jordan's House of Representatives Atef Tarawneh affirmed yesterday that the bilateral ties between Kuwait and Jordan are reaching high levels of strength. Jordan News Agency (PETRA) quoted the speaker during Kuwaiti Ambassador to Jordan Aziz Al-Daihani's visit to Amman where he accepted the speaker's invitation on behalf of Kuwait's Speaker of the National Assembly Marzouq Al-Ghanem. Objective of the visit is to solidify the existing bonds of friendship between Jordan and Kuwait.

In other news, Jordan's Prime Minister Dr Omar Razzaz said yesterday that central banks across the wider Arab region are fully capable of dealing with the challenges facing the global economy. The Jordanian premier's remarks came in a speech he delivered during talks involving the governors of Arab central banks, including the chief of the Central Bank of Kuwait Dr Mohammad Al-Hashel.

"Sustainable development remains our goal in order to cope with the economic, political and social changes taking place in our region, " Razzaz said. He cited a raft of broad reforms the Hashemite Kingdom has introduced in recent years, "which has proved instrumental in building trust in Amman's economy."

Meanwhile, the governor of Yemen's central bank Dr Mohammad Zamam said that global economic growth has by and large slowed down, making sustainable development a rather far-fetched goal, particularly for underdeveloped nations. The Yemeni official added that development projects have become all the more significant nowadays as many economies across the Arab region are struggling to overcome stagnation.

On how much economic growth needed, the chairman of the Arab Monetary Fund Dr Abdulrahman Al-Humaidi said that more than five percent is required to bring down the unemployment rate. On the economic challenges facing the Arab region, he pinpointed financial stability and structural reforms as among the most perennial concerns, "which are crucial to increase the productive output." The agenda for the meeting revolves around the challenges facing the global economy and the possible ripple effects felt by countries across the Arab region. - KUNA