Jordan has secured a promise of five more years of US financial aid, to the tune of at least $1.275 billion per year, according to the American embassy in Jordan, following a visit Wednesday by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
The memorandum of understanding, outlining areas of critical cooperation in the economic and defense sectors and directly supports King Abdullah II’s political and economic reform agenda, was signed despite President Donald Trump’s threat to withhold support from countries that opposed his position on Jerusalem.
In fact, the five-year deal replaces a succession of three-year US aid to Jordan.
A staunch ally of the US, Jordan has nonetheless expressed its grave objections to Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Which may explain why Secretary Tillerson stressed during his short visit that the president will expect the final boundaries of Jerusalem to be decided by the two sides in a future peace agreement.
The embassy’s tweet stated that “the MOU highlights the role Jordan plays in helping foster and safeguard regional stability and supports US objectives such as the global campaign to defeat ISIS, counter-terrorism cooperation, and economic development.”
The MOU takes effect immediately and ends in 2022. The $1.275 billion per year represents a $275 million annual increase over the previous MOU.