Welcome Message
A chairde, الاصدقاء الاعزاء , Dear Friends
I am deeply honoured to be appointed as Ireland’s second resident Ambassador of Ireland to Jordan. I will also be accredited as Ambassador to Iraq on a non-resident basis.
My first impression of Jordan is that of a beautiful country with unique landscape, rich culture, and deeply warm people. Already I can see similarities between Ireland and Jordan: two relatively small countries, with large offerings.
During my tenure here as Ambassador, I look forward to continuing to work with the Embassy team across a range of priorities.
Between now and the end of this year, we will continue to focus on Ireland’s role as a member of the UN Security Council. This means regular engagement on important issues, including the Middle East Peace Process, the humanitarian situation in Syria, and dealing with the global repercussions of the unjustified war in Ukraine.
From an economic perspective, we continue to work closely with the EU on implementing economic reforms in Jordan, and with the Jordan Ireland Business Association to identify bilateral business opportunities. I recently had the pleasure of hosting my first business breakfast during a visit to Jordan by Bord Bia to discuss enhancing trade links between Ireland, Jordan and Iraq in the area of food and beverages. I am looking forward to collaborating with the Jordan Strategy Forum, to deliver two seminars over coming months, focusing on public sector reform and foreign direct investment. As part of this, I will be welcoming experts from Ireland who will highlight the Irish experience in reform efforts. Another initiative that I will be focusing on is Jordan Young Scientists (JoYS), a national project aimed at supporting young people in STEM with an annual competition and exhibition held each year to highlight the winning projects. Our successful first exhibition took place in June this year and we will shortly be inviting students from schools right across Jordan to enter next year’s event. More information about JoYS can be found here.
After a difficult period during the coronavirus pandemic, our consular services and turn-around times are returning to pre-pandemic levels. I would like to thank the Irish and Jordanian communities here for their patience during this time. Details about our consular services can be found here. In particular, I would like to highlight our request that all Irish citizens residing in Jordan and Iraq to register contact details here.
A cultural highlight over the autumn is the inaugural Irish Film Festival, taking place at the Rainbow Theatre from 10-12 October in partnership with the Royal Film Commission of Jordan Further information on the screenings for festival is available here, and I encourage you all to participate in this exciting event.
I am hugely looking forward to meeting you all over coming weeks and months. I know already from my predecessor and from the Embassy team, how vibrant, friendly and welcoming the Irish community is here. Without doubt, there is a lot I can learn from you all, as longstanding representatives of Ireland in Jordan, and I always welcome input and commentary on what you think we can be doing more of in Jordan. I encourage you all to engage with us via our social media channels (@IrlEmbJordan on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), @IrlAmbJordan or by emailing AmmanEm@dfa.ie
I look forward to engaging with all of you over coming weeks and months.
Le gach dea-ghuí,
Marianne Bolger