AMMAN (JT) - Jordan and the European Union on Tuesday agreed the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Action Plan, under which the Kingdom enters into an “advanced status” partnership with the supranational institution.

The announcement was made after talks Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh held in Brussels with his Belgian counterpart Steven Vanackere, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU.

In a statement received from Brussels by The Jordan Times, the EU said this partnership will be based on the overarching objective of promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the EU neighbourhood, building on the core values Jordan and the EU share, such as the rule of law, good governance and respect for human rights.

“Jordan has become an increasingly significant player, a regional actor and a key interlocutor for the European Union in the Middle East,” the statement quoted Catherine Ashton, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and vice president of the European Commission, as saying.

Jordan is the first ENP Mediterranean partner country with whom the European Union has concluded the technical negotiations for a new joint ENP Action Plan which gives concrete substance to the “advanced status” partnership, the EU noted in the statement.

The “advanced status” partnership further expands the areas of cooperation between Jordan and the EU, opening up new opportunities in economic and trade relations via a progressive liberalisation in services and the right of establishment, facilitation of market access, progressive regulatory convergence and preparations of future negotiations on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, as well as reinforced cooperation with certain European agencies and programmes, the statement said.

“Today’s meeting of the Association Council clearly represents a new milestone in the history of EU-Jordan relations,” Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy ٹtefan Füle was quoted as saying.

Jordan and the European Community first established contractual relations in 1977 through a cooperation agreement, according to the EU.

The Association Agreement with Jordan, which entered into force in May 2002, sets out in more detail the specific areas in which the relations can be developed bilaterally. On this basis, the EU-Jordan ENP Action Plan was adopted in January 2005, for a period of three to five years, the statement said.

The ENP Action Plan supports the national reform process, articulated in Jordan’s 10-year national agenda and the “We are All Jordan” initiative, which form the basis for Jordan’s National Social and Economic Development Programme for 2009-2011.

The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership was launched at the 1995 Barcelona conference to strengthen the EU’s relations with Southern Mediterranean countries, and reinforced in 2008 with the creation of the Union for the Mediterranean.

Judeh held talks with Ashton Tuesday to discuss the latest regional developments, challenges facing the direct talks between the Palestinians and Israelis, and means to further boost cooperation between the Kingdom and the EU, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the meeting, Judeh expressed his appreciation for Ashton’s efforts to secure Jordan’s “advanced status” partnership with the EU.

Judeh also briefed Ashton on the efforts of His Majesty King Abdullah to achieve peace in the Middle East on the basis of the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative.

The foreign minister also met yesterday with EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht to discuss several issues related to enhancing commercial cooperation between Jordan and the EU.