JOINT COMMUNIQUE BY
US PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. CLINTON
JORDANIAN CROWN PRINCE EL HASSAN BIN TALAL AND
ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER SHIMON PERES
The White House, October 3, 1994
1. President William J. Clinton met at the White House today with His
Royal Highness Crown Prince El Hassan Bin Talal of the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres of Israel to pursue
their common purpose of creating a new era of peace in the Middle East.
2. Jordan and Israel reaffirmed the five underlying principles of their
understanding on an Agreed Common Agenda and commemorated the first
trilateral meeting, convened by President Clinton one year ago in
Washington, D.C., establishing the US-Jordan-Israel Trilateral Economic
Committee. The Trilateral Economic Committee created new momentum which
led to the first ministerial-level trilateral meetings in the region,
at the Dead Sea in Jordan and at the Eilat-Aqaba border crossing, and
to the July 25, 1994 Washington Declaration ending the state of war
between Jordan and Israel.
3. HRH Crown Prince El Hassan and Foreign Minister Peres outlined to
President Clinton the significant progress that was recently made in
Aqaba in the bilateral negotiations between Jordan and Israel, and
reaffirmed their commitment enshrined in the Washington Declaration
signed by President Clinton, King Hussein and Prime Minister Rabin to
achieve a full peace treaty between the two countries, hopefully in the
near future.
The progress made in the bilateral and trilateral negotiations are also
based on a shared view of the need for comprehensive peace in the
region. In this context the three leaders believe in the importance of
gradual implementation of regional cooperation that would address in a
balanced manner the basic economic and social needs of the peoples of
the region, the struggle against unemployment and poverty, development
of human resources and lead to the development of a regional and
comprehensive security concept. This will also require regional
institution building based on the Multilateral Working Groups, leading
to the possible development of a Conference on Security and Cooperation
in the Middle East (CSCME) concept. The three leaders called upon
other regional and non-regional partners to participate in the
exploration of these concepts and targets to create a new Middle East.
4. To implement further the provisions contained in the Washington
Declaration of 25th July, 1994, the US-Jordan-Israel Trilateral
Economic Committee today announced agreement on:
a. The finalized terms of reference fo the Jordan Rift Valley Joint
Master Plan, that portrays an integrated concept for the development
of the Jordan Rift Valley and entails a wide variety of economic
projects that are of mutual benefit to the two countries, as well as
for the region.
b. The importance of the Middle East/North Africa Economic Summit in
Casablanca (October 30 - November 1). In this context it is
important that the work of the Trilateral Committee will be
highlighted, including joint projects, business and investment
opportunities, and the promotion of partnership between the public
and private sectors.
In view of the fact that the next Middle East/North Africa Economic
Summit will be held in Amman, the Trilateral Committee favors the
establishment of a continuous mechanism to promote the investment of
private sector and to develop necessary strategies for regional
economic development, in conjunction with the Regional Economic
Development Working Group (REDWG) of the multilaterall peace
process. The three sides will coordinate on preparations for the
Economic Summits within the trilateral framework.
c. Regarding the importance of regional economic development, the three
sides believe it is essential to pursue and explore the creation of
a regioanl organization for economic development linked to the
creation of a multilateral financing mechanism. These concepts will
be further developed in the upcoming meeting of the REDWG Monitoring
Committee and in the Casablanca Conference.
d. In order to encourage economic progress resulting from the ongoing
peace process, it was also decided:
1. To address in the upcoming U.S.-Jordan Bilateral Commission ways
in which the U.S. can assist Jordan's economic development by
encouraging private investment, business development and
entrepreneurship and promoting bilateral trade.
2. To explore the creation of a cooperative Free Trade Zone in
Aqaba-Eilat based on the principle of free flow of goods between
countries, at the upcoming expert level meeting in Israel from
October 10-13 and Jordan from October 17-20, 1994.
3. The exchange of selective delegations in the economic field
between Jordan and industrialists, bankers, heads of Chambers of
Commerce and economic media leaders.
e. Regarding tourism as a major component of economic development, it
was agreed:
1. The completion of construction by October 15, 1994, of a new
northern border crossing point for third country nationals.
2. A Red Sea Marine Peace Park, with a US start-up grant from the
State Department's Oceans and International Environmental and
Scientific Affairs Bureau's Special Fund.
3. The Trilateral Committee also agreed to promote Israel and Jordan
as a joint tourism destination, citing Jordanian- Israeli
collaboration on the September 28-29 Tourism in the New Middle
East Workshop in Cairo, the November 6-12 Lisbon Conference of
the American Society of Travel Agents, and the January-February
1995 Peace Trips for US and international tourism and travel
sector representatives and the news media (including
representatives of the two countries).
4. The new northern border crossing point for third country
nationals, the Red Sea Marine Peace Park, and the inclusion of
tourism in the terms of reference of the Jordan Rift Valley Joint
Master plan will enhance both countries' appeal as a joint
tourism destination, in addition to the Aqaba-Eilat southern
border crossing point and the Dead Sea Lowest Point on Earth
Park.
5. Establishment of an Eilat/Aqaba Free Tourism Zone, where citizens
of Jordan and Israel can visit in addition to third country
nationals.
f. Water Resources:
1. Based on the necessity to develop new and alternative water
resources on a regional scale, the Trilateral Committee will
develop Terms of Reference in order to conduct relevant
feasibility studies.
2. Jordan and Israel will pursue in common financing of the dams as
agreed upon in recent Aqaba talks.
3. Under the auspices of the Trilateral Economic Committee, and with
technical assistance and support from the US Trade and
Development Agency and the US private sector, a symposium on the
Red Sea-Dead Sea Canal proposal will be hosted by the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan, in conjunction with the Government of Israel.