VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAM #2827/01 1821551
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 011551Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9381
INFO RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1440
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0282
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1137
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0240
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0205
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 1495
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 0172

UNCLAS AMMAN 002827 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ELA AND EEB/IFD/OMA 
 
E.O. 12958 
TAGS: EFIN EAID PREL JO
SUBJECT:  JORDAN REPEATS REQUEST FOR U.S. SUPPORT FOR PARIS CLUB 
DEBT BUYBACK; SEEKS SAME FROM OTHER CLUB MEMBERS 
 
REF:  A) STATE 83434 (NOTAL), B) AMMAN 1961 (NOTAL) 
 
(U)  Sensitive but Unclassified.  Protect Accordingly. 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Jordanian officials have renewed their request for the 
U.S. to join in supporting a debt buyback scheme.  The King's 
Officer Director, Bassem Awadallah, sent Ambassador a new background 
paper and the text of a letter the Finance Minister sent to the head 
of the Paris Club (text below).  The King has continued his personal 
lobbying campaign on the issues, and Awadallah claims German 
Chancellor Merkel is on board and has in turn urged Japanese 
officials to join in support (the Jordanians said this may have 
backfired with the Japanese, who let it be known they preferred to 
handle their bilateral relationship with Jordan bilaterally).  The 
King intends to raise the proposal with President Sarkozy during a 
short Paris visit on July 4, and did so with Gordon Brown during a 
trip to London over a week ago. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Ambassador reiterated ref A points.  Awadallah asked for 
reconsideration of our position, noting 1) the request for U.S. 
support in the Paris Club, not for U.S. participation in a buyback 
operation, b) prepayment would provide only limited relief to 
Jordan, and c) other countries allegedly have gained Paris Club 
support for buybacks. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Comment:  Post will continue to monitor GOJ engagement 
with other Paris Club members and report any developments.  Emboffs 
as well as the Treasury Advisor to the Ministry of Finance have made 
clear to the Minister and Secretary General the U.S. position 
against and legislation prohibiting discounting debt for buybacks. 
Moreover, the Advisor has suggested that the purchase of floating 
rate debt would be more attractive to Jordan at this time, rather 
than purchasing fixed rate loans.  The Minister reiterated to the 
Advisor that Jordan's concern is not their dollar-denominated debt, 
but the positions in Japanese Yen and Euros.  Despite delivery of 
ref A points, senior Jordanian officials - including, eventually, 
the King are certain to step up direct lobbying efforts with U.S. 
counterparts.  End comment. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Begin Text of GOJ request for U.S. support: 
 
Request for Support with Paris Club Creditors for a Debt Buy Back 
Agreement with Jordan June 2007 
Jordan today continues to be the leading advocate for finding a 
sustainable and peaceful regional political framework, based on 
international legality, good faith, and mutual interests. It is only 
within such a framework that the Middle East as a region can attain 
its potential and realize the aspirations of its young population. 
This framework will be sustained through political pluralism, 
respect for human and civil rights, freedom of speech, social and 
economic development, and a modern, inclusive society. 
A process of reform is needed in our region to bring about this 
 
framework.  Home-grown and credible reforms in each country are 
required.  This effort must, however, receive full support from the 
international community for it to take root and succeed in attaining 
its results. 
Jordan is confidently and aggressively forging ahead with its reform 
process.  In the medium term and to allow Jordan the fiscal space to 
implement necessary measures, it continues to count on the support 
of the international community, particularly Paris Club members to 
relieve some of the debt burden which continues to constrain the 
fiscal space for increased and accelerated investments in reform. 
Jordan is faced today with the twin challenges of rising oil prices 
and a sharp reduction in foreign grant assistance that threatens to 
derail much of the achievements attained and future growth and 
stability prospects.  Jordan realizes the primacy of fiscal reforms 
to creating a healthy budget that articulates national development 
priorities, and is committed to accelerating the measures that it 
has already undertaken aimed at reducing current expenditures to 
allow for more fiscal space for capital investments and increasing 
revenues through tax reform.  Jordan is also committed to 
accelerating its ambitious privatization program. 
We continue to be heavily dependent on aid for our development 
process, and the continued support of the international community 
has allowed us to forge ahead with such efforts. Further, the 
regional political instability reflected by the continuing 
Palestinian-Israeli conflict to Jordan's west and the Iraqi conflict 
to its east have substantially reduced investor interest in the 
region and disrupted many economic activities, while the loss of the 
Iraqi oil grant has had huge adverse effects on the Jordanian 
economy. 
 
Jordan's budget has suffered as a consequence.  In 2007, current 
expenditures are expected to exceed domestic revenues by $462 
million, with the oil subsidy, pension outlays, and debt service 
$1.81 billion (or 40% of current expenditures, and 31% of total 
expenditures), of which $852 million is for serving debt.  The 
budget is more strained due to the increase in the prices of oil and 
it becomes increasingly harder in the medium-term to maintain a 
prudent and sound fiscal situation. The budget deficit (after 
grants) is expected to exceed 8%, thus threatening the macroeconomic 
stability gained over the years. 
Jordan has embarked on a fiscal reform package to phase out oil 
subsidies by February 2008, enhance revenues through a reformed, 
more efficient, tax system, and enabling laws and regulations, as 
well as reduce expenditures. 
The current stock of Jordan's outstanding foreign debt amounts to 
$7.3 billion (56% of GDP), of which $4.5 billion is outstanding to 
Paris Club creditors, constituting almost 61.3% of its total foreign 
debt stock. 
Of the total outstanding debt owed to Paris Club creditors, over 90% 
is due to five main creditors as follows: (1) Japan: $1,438 million, 
(2) France: $949 million, (3) the United Kingdom: $675 million, (4) 
the United States: $525 million, and (5) Germany: $460 million. 
Due to the U.S. Dollar's depreciation against the Euro and Japanese 
Yen in the past few years, Jordan, which pegs its currency to the 
U.S. Dollar, has seen its debt burden increase dramatically in 
Dollar terms. In 2006 alone, Jordan has incurred an additional debt 
burden of $275 million as a result of Dollar depreciation alone. 
In the past, Jordan has resorted to buying back and restructuring 
some of its debt in order to reduce its total debt burden.  In 1993, 
Jordan rescheduled $736.5 million, representing the whole amount of 
its commercial debt through replacing it with 30-year bonds (Brady 
Bonds).  Jordan also bought back $800 million of the debt owed to 
Russia for $140 million (at a 82.5% discount), and entered into 
several debt swap agreements, such as that entered with France in 
1999 through which $69.2 million were used to purchase interests in 
investment projects at a 47% discount.  The latest such debt swap 
arrangement was concluded in March 2006 with the German development 
agency KfW, where debt was swapped for 30 million at a 50% discount 
rate. 
As part of its efforts to reduce external debts and the burden of 
servicing debt Jordan has also resorted to using part of its 
privatization proceeds to reduce its debt burden.  In 2003, Jordan 
bought back $243 million from France, the UK, and Spain, and 
rescheduled $316 million. 
Jordan's outstanding debt to the U.S. amounts to $525 million, or 
12% of the total outstanding debt to Paris Club creditors. At the 
current scheduling, Jordan also owes an additional amount of $217 
million as interest, for a total debt burden of $742 million. In 
2007 servicing debt owed to the U.S. amounts to $47.3 million ($21.7 
million in principal and $25.6 million in interest). 
Jordan would like to explore the possibility of buying back part of 
its debt from Paris Club members, partly using its privatization 
proceeds which currently stand at around $1 billion.  Accordingly, 
Jordan has requested the possibility of entering into an early debt 
repayment plan with Paris Club creditors in January 2007. 
To ensure that reforms in Jordan are successful and fiscal stability 
is maintained, Jordan counts on the support of the U.S. and the 
Paris Club to buy back its outstanding debt at a fair discount rate. 
 Given the U.S.'s leadership position within the international 
community, Jordan counts on its support with other members of the 
Paris Club to conclude debt buy back agreements. 
Such measures will complement domestic fiscal measures that are 
being undertaken to reduce the oil subsidy bill, pension outlays, 
and administrative current expenditures.  It would permit the 
increased allocation of government resources towards the development 
process, help improve Jordan's international credit worthiness and 
private investor confidence, as well as help support Jordan's 
efforts in building a regional model of economic vitality, peace, 
regional cooperation, and social stability. 
The support of the international community, and particularly the 
U.S., for home-grown initiatives aimed at a sustained interest in 
stability, security, and peace in the region is vital, indeed 
invaluable, for starting and successfully completing such a process. 
 We share the view that only open, democratic, and free societies 
can sustain peace, stability, and prosperity in this region and the 
world.  And it is this view that lies behind our commitment to the 
success of reforms in Jordan and, indeed, the region. 
Beyond national and regional efforts, Jordan is also keen on 
building cross-border partnerships with like-minded, reforming 
countries to accelerate development in the respective countries and 
to enhance global peace and stability. Accordingly, in August 2005, 
 
His Majesty King Abdullah II proposed a new partnership to enhance 
cooperation and coordination between a select number of lower-middle 
income countries, which include Croatia, Ecuador, Georgia, Honduras, 
Indonesia, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay, and Sri Lanka. Since 
then, two heads of state summits, the last of which was in Jordan in 
May 2007, and several meetings at the technical level were convened 
to move forward a common reform agenda and to work closely with the 
G8 in that respect. 
We are pleased to have been invited, as G11 presidents, to meet with 
the G8 presidency in Germany in the second half of 2007, and we view 
such efforts as part and parcel of our own internal development 
efforts and as enablers for our countries to contribute further to 
global peace and prosperity. 
Jordan counts on continued U.S. support with its requests from the 
Paris Club.  U.S. support has been important in the past to maintain 
Jordan's stability, and it is still necessary today to enable Jordan 
to continue implementing its ambitious reform agenda and to create 
sustainable growth and development. 
End text. 
¶5.  (SBU)  Begin Text of Ziad-Musca letter: 
Ministry of Finance 
Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Finance 
Minister's Office 
 
12/1/33/7014 
June 28, 2007 
 
H.E. Mr. Xavier Musca 
Chairman of the Paris Club 
Director General of the Treasury and Economic Policy Department 
Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Industry 
French Treasury 
139, rue de Bercy, Teledoc 551 
75572 Paris VEDEX 12, France 
 
Excellency, 
Further to my communication with you earlier this year regarding 
Jordan's current endeavors to reduce its external debt burden 
through, inter alia, repayment to the Paris Club members, and 
following your e-mail reply on this issue, allow me to take this 
opportunity to extend my sincere gratitude and warmest appreciation 
for the continued support with the Paris Club has graciously granted 
Jordan throughout its development process.  Jordan is particularly 
grateful for the 2002 Agreement with the Paris Club to reschedule 
about $1.2 billion in debt due in the period July 2002 - December 
¶2007. 
Forging ahead with our reform agenda has enabled us to achieve 
favorable results and graduate from the IMF program in July 2004. 
Since 2004, real growth has averaged more than 7%, domestic exports 
almost doubled, while inflation has been successfully contained.  As 
Jordan embarks on building a regional social, political, and 
economic model, it will continue to move forward with its reform 
agenda to credibly address the challenges that it faces. 
As you are well aware, one of the main challenges that Jordan 
continues to face is the Kingdom's debt burden and its related level 
of debt service, which remain high despite the significant domestic 
efforts made during the past decade in reducing the ration of 
external debt to DGP that now stands at 56%.  Due to out high debt 
burden, the increase in world oil prices and continued regional 
instability, Jordan's budget is constrained.  In 2007, current 
expenditures are expected to exceed domestic revenues by $462 
million.  The oil subsidy, pension outlays, and debt service will 
account for $1.81 billion or 40 of current expenditures, and 31% of 
total public expenditures.  Debt service alone equals $852 million. 
The budget deficit (before grants) is expected to exceed 8%, thus 
threatening the macroeconomic stability gained over the years. 
As a non-oil producing country in the midst of a region that is 
practically awash in oil, the Jordanian economy confronts many 
constraints.  Jordan is faced today with the twin challenges of 
rising oil prices and a sharp reduction in foreign grant assistance 
that threat to derail much of the achievements attained and future 
growth and stability prospects.  Jordan realizes the primacy of 
fiscal reforms to creating a healthy budget that articulates 
national development priorities, and is committed to accelerating 
the measures that it has already undertaken aimed at reducing 
current expenditures to allow for more fiscal space for capital 
investments and increasing revenues through tax reform.  Jordan is 
also committed to accelerating its ambitious privatization program. 
That being said, Jordan's poverty and unemployment profile still 
imposes a real challenge to policy makers.  External support is 
necessary to ensure that resolute reforms are both popular and 
 
successful.  This can be facilitated through substantially 
increasing domestic resources devoted to poverty reduction. 
In the medium-term and to allow Jordan the fiscal space needed to 
implement necessary measures to raise living standards and implement 
pro-poor development strategies, the Kingdom continues to count on 
the support of the international community, particularly Paris Club 
members, to relieve some of the debt burden which continues to 
constrain the fiscal space for increased and accelerated investments 
in reform. 
Currently the stock of Jordan's outstanding foreign debt amounts to 
$7.3 billion (56% of GDP), of which $4.5 billion in outstanding to 
Paris club creditors, constituting almost 61.3% of its total foreign 
debt stock.  Of the total outstanding debt owed to Paris Club 
creditors, over 90% is due to five main creditors as follows:  (1) 
Japan: $1.438 million, (2) France: $949 million, (3) the United 
Kingdom: $675 million, (4) the United States: $525 million, and (5) 
Germany: $460 million. 
Accordingly, and to ensure that reforms in Jordan are successful and 
fiscal stability is maintained, Jordan would like to explore with 
the Paris Club the possibility of buying back its debt outstanding 
to Paris Club creditors at a fair discount rate, partly using its 
privatization proceeds which currently stand at around $1 billion. 
Such measures will complement domestic fiscal measures that are 
being undertaken to reduce the oil subsidy bill, pension outlays, 
and administrative current expenditures.  It would permit the 
increased allocation of government resources towards the development 
process, help improve Jordan's international credit worthiness and 
private investor confidence, as well as help support Jordan's 
efforts in building a regional model of economic vitality, peace, 
regional cooperation, and social stability. 
To conclude, the support of the international community, 
particularly during phases of political and economic external 
shocks, has been pivotal in backing Jordan's reforms, and today a 
strategy for eh early repayment of debt is also needed to place 
Jordan distant from any risks that may endanger its noticeable 
achievements over the past years and to help the country achieving 
long-term fiscal sustainability and reaching widely-shared growth. 
I look forward to the positive response of the Paris Club in this 
regard.  In the meantime, please accept my highest esteem and 
consideration. 
Sincerely yours, 
/s/ 
Dr. Ziad Fariz 
Deputy Prime Minister 
and Minister of Finance. 
 
End text. 
 
Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman 
 
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