Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 22 June 2018

Merkel pledges $100 million loan for troubled Jordan

By KARIN LAUB key Assad ally.
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — More than 6 million Syrians
German Chancellor An- have fled their homeland
gela Merkel on Thursday since the civil war erupted
promised a $100 million in 2011. Most have settled
loan to troubled Jordan, in regional host countries,
where mass protests over including Jordan, Leba-
austerity measures forced non and Turkey. Hundreds
the prime minister to resign of thousands migrated on-
earlier this month. ward to Europe, embarking
She arrived later in the on dangerous sea routes at
Lebanese capital Beirut, the mercy of smugglers.
another major Middle East- The regional hosts have
ern refugee host country, said they are not receiv-
where she was expected ing sufficient international
to meet officials, business- support for shouldering a
men and representatives of disproportionately heavy
U.N. organizations during a refugee burden. Jordan
two-day visit. is home to some 660,000
Merkel is visiting Jordan and registered Syrian refugees,
Lebanon, both neighbors of but says the actual number
war-torn Syria, amid an es- of displaced Syrians in the
calating domestic row over kingdom is twice as high. In
migration. Standing next to Lebanon, a politically and
Jordan's King Abdullah II, economically fragile coun-
she made no reference to try, an estimated one in
the crisis that's straining her four residents is a refugee.
ruling coalition. Lebanese officials say the
The chancellor said Ger- country's economy is col-
many will provide the $100 lapsing and are urging Syri-
million loan in addition to ans to return home to areas
bilateral aid which amounts that have relatively stabi-
to about 384 million euros lized. Merkel met with Leb-
($442 million) this year. She anese Prime Minister Saad
said she hopes the addi- Hariri upon arrival, and the
tional funds will help Jordan two discussed bilateral re-
carry out economic reforms lations including on the
sought by the International economic front, accord-
Monetary Fund. ing to a statement from the
The IMF is seeking such re- premier's office.
forms to lower Jordan's In recent years, interna-
public debt-to-GDP ratio, tional donors have tried to
which has risen to about 96 shift from humanitarian to
percent, in part because of development aid, particu-
the continued economic larly in Jordan, hoping to
fallout from Syria's civil war encourage refugees to re-
and other regional crises. main in the Middle East. The
"We are aware of the chal- program, meant to create
lenges you face, both in jobs for 200,000 Syrian refu-
the realm of security and in gees, has had partial suc-
civil society development," German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks during a press conference with Jordan's King Abdullah cess.
Merkel said, adding that II at the Royal Palace in Amman, Jordan, Thursday, June 21, 2018. Before heading to Leba-
she wished the government Associated Press non, Merkel visited an air
success in implementing base where German troops
"needed reforms." Seehofer, the CSU's leader, debate in Germany over after an uproar was ex- are deployed as part of
"The IMF, and it's known for is threatening to go ahead fundamental questions. tended for a year. an international coalition
this, often has very ambi- unilaterally with his plans if "I am on the side of those, "If this decree is implement- against the so-called Islam-
tious ideas about reforms, she doesn't — potentially and this is fortunately the ed, it's very bad news for ic State group. The group
and implementing them is threatening the governing majority in Germany, who all those who are currently has been pushed back
anything but simple," she coalition. say we need to be an open outside the country," she from most of the territory it
said. Leaders from a group of Eu- country," she said, adding said, referring to refugees, used to control in Syria and
Merkel is meanwhile facing ropean Union countries, led that "of course we need to among them hundreds of Iraq, both Jordan's neigh-
a serious crisis in her coali- by Germany and France, regulate this." thousands in Germany. bors.
tion. will meet Sunday to thrash Separately, she expressed "We are doing everything Merkel said the mission has
Bavaria's Christian Social out possible solutions. concern about a decree we can so this decree is not been successful, but isn't
Union party demands that Earlier Thursday, in a ques- issued by Syrian President implemented," she said, finished because there's
some migrants should be tion-and-answer session Bashar Assad which would adding that it would make "still space for retreat," ap-
turned back at Germany's with students at the Ger- require Syrian residents to it difficult or impossible for parently referring to es-
borders, and has given her man Jordanian University, register to prove and re- displaced Syrians to return. cape routes for IS fighters.
two weeks to reach agree- Merkel said the refugee in- claim properties. The de- Merkel said she has raised "That's why you have to
ment with European part- flux in recent years, includ- cree initially gave Syrians her concerns with Russian keep flying this mission," she
ners. Interior Minister Horst ing from Syria, had stirred one month to register, but President Vladimir Putin, a told troops.q