Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Jordan’s Crown Prince Hassan pursued efforts this week to get financing for dams to be built on the Yarmuk and Jordan rivers.
The two leaders met in Amman, Jordan, on Sunday to coordinate Jordanian and Israeli positions before requesting help from the European Union to finance the projects, which are aimed at increasing scant Jordanian water resources.
Under the terms of peace treaty signed by the two countries in October, Israel and Jordan agreed to construct the dams with international financing.
Israel also agreed in the treaty to provide 7.5 billion cubic feet of water to Jordan.
The dams would enable Jordanians to trap large quantities of water during the rainy season. The dams would help divert an estimated 350 million cubic feet of water to Jordan.
Hassan and Peres were scheduled to visit Germany on Tuesday to secure backing for the water projects from Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
Germany has agreed to provide a large portion of financing for the projects unless Syria or the Palestinians object.
One of the Jordan River’s sources flows from the Golan Heights, which is claimed by Syria. The project could also have an impact on Palestinian agriculture in the West Bank, because many Palestinian farmers use the Jordan as their main water supply for irrigation.
In response to these concerns, Peres has said the proposed dam projects would benefit Jordanians without violating Syrian or Palestinians interest.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
