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5 - 11 December
CONTENTS:
Italy continues support for Investment Promotion in Jordan
Vienna, Austria, 30 November, 2004
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Ambassador of Italy Angelo De Ceglie and Ambassador of Jordan Shihab Madi were at UNIDO HQ on 30 November for the signing of a Trust Fund Agreement for some € 1 million with UNIDO Director-General Carlos Magariños to support the continuation of the UNIDO-Italian Investment Promotion Unit (IPU) in Jordan. The Italian Ambassador expressed his thanks to UNIDO for assisting Italy in its efforts to promote job creation and raise the standard of living in the Euro-Mediterranean countries and said such efforts were at the core of maintaining peaceful relations. Both Ambassadors took up their posts as Permanent Representatives to UNIDO in 2004: Ambassador De Ceglie in February and Ambassador Madi in September.
UNIDO IPU Jordan, part of the UNIDO Integrated Programme for Jordan was initially set up under a September 2000 agreement with the Italian Government. The new agreement was discussed in detail and designed together with the top management of the Jordan Investment Board. It brings into practice the new approach of UNIDO's Investment and Technology Promotion network by closely integrating the IPU with complementary parts of the UNIDO Integrated Programme for Jordan.
The IPU in Jordan is part of the UNIDO ITPO network as well as of the UNIDO Mediterranean-Arab Network formed by the ITPOs (Bahrain, France, Greece, Italy) and IPUs (Egypt, Jordan, Morocco,Tunisia) operating in the Mediterranean-Arab Region. In line with its mandate of promoting industrial cooperation between Jordan and Italy, the Unit closely interacts and coordinates its activities both with the Jordan Investment Board, its institutional counterpart, and UNIDO ITPOs in Italy and in the ITPO network generally. The major activities of the Unit are: assistance to Jordanian entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); assistance to the Jordan Investment Board; and financial assistance to Jordanian SMEs.
Assistance to Jordanian entrepreneurs and SMEs involves: the formulation and promotion of investment opportunities; assistance during negotiation of industrial cooperation agreements with foreign partners; feasibility studies; and technology advice.
Assistance to the Jordan Investment Board is in: the implementation of programmes in Jordan's priority industrial sectors such as stone, olive oil, and Dead Sea products; training; technical and financial evaluation of investment opportunities; country promotion; and enterprenuership development.
On the financial assistance front, the IPU Jordan facilitates access to soft loans by Jordan's SMEs from the Italian Government through the local banking system for the purchase of equipment of Italian origin. Individual loans are available in amounts between Italian Lire 200 million ( € 103,000) and Italian Lire 3,5 billion ( € 1.807 million). The interest rate for loans denominated in Jordan Dinars is 7% for a Jordanian company beneficiary and 6% for Italo – Jordanian joint venture. The repayment period of each individual loan cannot exceed seven years plus a three year grace period, and cannot be less than three years plus a one year grace period.
UNIDO IPU Jordan: Monica Carcó Tel: (+962 6) 5608400 Fax: (+962 6) 5517626 E-mail: itpo.amman@unido.org UNIDO Vienna: Victor Zakharian, Tel +43-1-26026 / 3362, Email: V.Zakharian@unido.org
UNIDO ITPO Bahrain - UNIDO ICS Trieste workshop
on Management of Water & Related Technologies in the Arab Region
Manama – Kingdom of Bahrain, 11-12 September 2004
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The UNIDO Investment & Technology Promotion Office (ITPO)-Bahrain and the UNIDO International Centre for Science & High Technology (ICS) Trieste in cooperation with the Bahrain Economic Development Board, the United Nations Environment Program and the Arabian Gulf University held a two day regional workshop on Management of Water & Related Technologies in the Arab Region on September 11 & 12, 2004 in Bahrain.
The workshop was attended by 30 experts in the water sector from ten countries (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar); representatives from six ITPOs (Japan, Athens, Marseille, UK, Italy & Bahrain); directors of National Cleaner Production Programs (NCPPs) of Costa Rica, Uganda and Russia; UNIDO ITPO Network Coordinator Victor Zakharian; and UNIDO Cleaner Production Specialist Petra Schwager.
The workshop looked at tools and methodologies for the management of the waters in the region that enable pollution prevention without compromising the productivity. Strong focus was on the exchange of views on how best to develop capabilities on water management (mainly water treatment, desalinization and coastal zone management).
The meeting also provided an opportunity to examine the feasibility of establishing an ICS associated centre in the Arab Region. The main purpose of such an associated centre would be to provide assessment and training services as well as other tailored services with the final aim of increasing the technological capabilities of SMEs.
The workshop was timed so that participants could also attend the 2nd International Exhibition & Conference for Water Technology on 13-15 September 2004, where UNIDO ITPO Bahrain and the Kuwait Finance House shared a stand to promote investment & industrial development to the Region. Together, the UNIDO NCPC and ITPO networks promoted more than 50 opportunities and technology offers to potential investors in the Water Sector.
UNIDO ITPO and NCPP representatives also held discussions on increasing synergies between ITPOs and NCPPs for the diffusion of environmentally sound technologies (see next story). Hashim Hussein, Head, ITPO Bahrain, Tel. +973 - 536881, E-mail: itpo.bahrain@unido.org Victor Zakharian, Tel +43-1-26026 / 3362, Email: V.Zakharian@unido.org Petra Schwager, Tel: +43 1 26026 / 3749, E-mail: P.Schwager@unido.org
UNIDO ITPO Bahrain hosts international
meeting on diffusion of environmentally sound technologies
Manama – Kingdom of Bahrain, 14 September 2004
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While in Bahrain for the UNIDO ITPO Bahrain - UNIDO ICS Trieste regional workshop on Management of Water & Related Technologies in the Arab Region (see story this issue), representatives of six UNIDO ITPOs (Japan, Athens, Marseille, UK, Italy & Bahrain) and three NCPC Directors (Costa Rica, Uganda and Russia) met to further develop mechanisms and programmes of cooperation between its National Cleaner Production Centers and its Investment & Technology Promotion Offices. UNIDO ITPO Network Coordinator Victor Zakharian and UNIDO Cleaner Production Specialist Petra Schwager also participated in the meeting. The specific focus of discussions was the diffusion of environmentally sound technologies. The meeting was held under the patronage of Bahrain's Minister of Industry, Hassan Fakhro.
The meeting was held at ITPO Bahrain premises on September 14th 2004 and represents an important milestone on the way to improve the efficiency and impact of UNIDO services through widening both scope and geographic coverage of its networks.
In addition to the environmentally sound technology issue, discussions covered other joint NCPC-ITPO activities such as the CP-ITPO delegate programme, the CP-ITPO newsletter and studies on environmental legislation and enforcement as well as investment climate. The UNIDO CP-ITPO Delegate Programme is a variation on the long-running standard ITPO Delegate Programme, whereby staff of developing country institutions involved in investment promotion get hands-on experience at one of UNIDO's ITPOs. In addition to being an important and effective part of the capacity-building efforts of the UNIDO ITPOs, it is not uncommon for delegates to go home with valuable contracts. Regardless of the immediate result, all go back with valuable contacts. Hashim Hussein, Head, ITPO Bahrain, Tel. +973 - 536881, E-mail: itpo.bahrain@unido.org Victor Zakharian, Tel +43-1-26026 / 3362, Email: V.Zakharian@unido.org Petra Schwager, Tel: +43 1 26026 / 3749, E-mail: P.Schwager@unido.org
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