EU–Jordan summit highlights Brussels' Middle East ambitions

When EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa arrived at Jordan's Al Husainiyah Palace at midday on Thursday, there was not a cloud in the sky. Temperatures hovered around a pleasant 20 degrees Celsius. While large parts of Europe were struggling with heavy snowfall, Jordan was showing its best side, as were the leaders gathered for the first-ever EU–Jordan summit in Amman.

Jordan's King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein and his son, Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, welcomed the two EU leaders and their delegation. In their opening statements, all participants stressed their commitment to continued cooperation between the bloc and the kingdom.

"In times of growing geopolitical challenges, it is good to know that the European Union and Jordan stand side by side, because this is what friends do," Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

The push to deepen ties had already begun with the EU–Jordan Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership, signed in January 2025. Backed by €3 billion ($3.5 billion) earmarked for the period between 2025 and 2027, the agreement aims to support Jordan in areas such as security, economic resilience and migration management.

For Jordan, the stakes are high, said geopolitical expert Amer Sabaileh in an interview with DW. The country has struggled for years under the burden of hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees. Over recent decades, Jordan has taken in Palestinians as well as Iraqis, Yemenis and Sudanese fleeing conflict in their home countries. Most recently, the kingdom became the main host country for Syrians displaced by the civil war, and according to the United Nations, it is still home to around 500,000 Syrian refugees living in cities and camps.

"Having the EU as a partner today helps ensure that Jordan can face these challenges today and in the coming years with a clear vision, expertise and, above all, the financial support the country urgently needs," Sabaileh says.

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The summit delivered the financial backing Jordan had been hoping for. Both sides announced an investment conference planned for April, intended to identify opportunities in sectors including security, defence, education and youth empowerment. The focus is on projects that go beyond emergency refugee relief and support Jordanians who have been hit by years of economic struggle. More than 14% of people in Jordan are currently unemployed, a figure that is even higher among young people and women.

But what does the European Union gain from closer ties with Jordan? The bloc views the kingdom as a reliable and stable partner in a region increasingly marked by conflict and crisis, argues Jordanian political analyst Labib Kamhawi in an interview with DW. Supporting Jordan as a major host country for refugees has allowed the EU to improve living conditions for hundreds of thousands of displaced people through humanitarian and financial assistance. Since 2011, the EU has spent more than €4 billion on humanitarian aid and macro-financial support to help Jordan cope with the fallout of the Syrian war.

Analysts like Kamhawi argue, however, that this funding has also served another purpose: limiting the number of refugees reaching Europe's own borders. A priority for a bloc that has become increasingly restrictive on migration in recent years.

Now, Jordan and the EU say they want to go a step further. Both sides expressed support for politically and economically engaging with the Syrian government to "provide an environment for the safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees," Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said at a press conference after the summit.

Avoiding future refugee flows is seen as a shared interest for both Jordan and the EU, Kamhawi says. Both are keen to prevent another large-scale displacement that could result from developments in the West Bank, particularly in the event of an Israeli annexation of the territory.

This concern ties into another major reason for Europe's engagement with Jordan. In recent months, the EU has struggled to secure a meaningful role in diplomatic efforts surrounding the war between Israel and Hamas. Jordan has long positioned itself as a staunch advocate for Palestinian rights, and both Jordan and the EU officially support a two-state solution.

By working closely with Amman, Brussels hopes to amplify its voice in discussions about the future of Gaza, including efforts to establish a ceasefire and lay the groundwork for a more durable peace in the region.

Jordan is not the only country on the current Middle East itinerary of EU leaders. Following the Amman summit, von der Leyen and Costa are set to travel to Lebanon and Syria, where further financial assistance is expected to be pledged in support of the respective governments. At the same time, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is visiting Egypt.

Taken together, the visits underline a broader effort by Brussels to reassert itself in the Middle East, seeking to act as a stabilising force in a region increasingly pulled into conflicts, humanitarian crises and geopolitical rivalries.