In spite of tension between Israel and Jordan over the Mashaal affair and criticism leveled at the Prime Minister by King Hussein in a series of interviews in foreign publications, Israel and Jordan sought to further cement their economic ties by signing the following agreement, which dealt with a duty-free area in Irbid to qualify as such by the government of the United States. By the end of 1997 a number of Israeli companies were already manufacturing goods in plants in Jordan using Jordanian labor. This agreement was another in a long process of implementing the Israel-Jordan peace treaty of October 1994. The agreement was signed in Doha, Qatar, during the fourth Middle East/North Africa economic conference where Israel was represented by Minister of Industry and Trade Sharansky. Text:
Israel-Jordan Agreement in Irbid Qualifying Industrial Zone