Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - A Jordanian-Czech Business Forum on investment in transformational energy resources, organized by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, the Amman Chamber of Industry and the Jordan Europe Business Association, opened Monday.

The forum, in which Czech officials, businessmen and geology and mining companies are taking part, will run until Feb. 18.

The forum seeks to enhance bilateral relations between Jordan and the Czech Republic, especially in the field of mineral resources, and to highlight investment opportunities in both countries, Shorouk Abdel-Ghani, director of planning and institutional development at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said.

She added that the forum will shine a light on "the rare elements in Jordan through visits by Czech companies to a number of Jordanian companies to look first-hand on possible joint action and attract investment."

She pointed out that the ministry has the task of drawing up investment policies in the minerals field through promotion, especially of undiscovered resources, in order to extract them and benefit from them in manufacturing and exports.

The mining sector accounts for about 8% of GDP.

Czech ambassador, Joseph Kotski, whose mission sponsors the forum, said the Czech Republic's exports to Jordan rose to about $105 million in 2019, while the value of Jordanian exports to the European country amounted to about $3 million.

He owed the increase to support by the Jordanian government and the private sector to expand joint economic cooperation.