Young entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Jordan will soon be able to benefit from an Italian-funded UN program to boost competitiveness and foster networking and business links across the Mediterranean region.
Financed by Italy's foreign affairs ministry, Mediterranean 2000 is a three-year program administered by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) benefiting 10 countries in the Mediterranean region and the Horn of Africa.
Mediterranean 2000 will provide specialized support services to SMEs and local institutions and will mobilize the support of various UN agencies, a statement from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) said on Monday, February 12.
“It is designed to create useful synergies with bilateral official development assistance programs and projects,” stated Italian minister of foreign affairs, Lamberto Dini, who will accompany Italian President Carlo Azelio Ciampi on an official visit to Jordan that starts tomorrow.
Mediterranean 2000, which is managed by the Geneva-based UNCTAD, will enlist the cooperation of the UNDP in Jordan.
In Jordan—the first country in the Middle East to benefit from this initiative—assistance to entrepreneurs will be extended through the Empretec Program, which provides training, technical assistance, access to finance, regional networking and institutional framework to foster entrepreneurial capacities. Donor assistance is slated for three years, during which Empretec hopes to develop a sustainable support base for entrepreneurs in Jordan by assisting entrepreneurs and building the capacity of select institutions to provide entrepreneurial support. — ( Jordan Times )
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
