Ammon News - Pakistani ambassador to Jordan, Sajjad Ali Khan, said Monday that the trade volume between his country and Jordan was short of expectations at $50 million, but efforts are stepped up to further boost relations in a host of sectors.

He told Petra in an interview that efforts are underway to promote tourism exchange, noting the cultural, archaeological and religious landmarks and the moderate weather in both countries. However, he added, there is no direct air travel route between the two countries to serve tourism.

The envoy stressed the deep-rooted relations in the various political, military, scientific, social, cultural, economic fields and the development they witnessed.

As part of cultural ties, he said that 10,000 Jordanians are members of the Pakistani universities alumni, noting that hundreds of Jordanian students are currently studying in Pakistan, forming a bridge between the two countries. He said Pakistan allocated 35 annual scholarships for Jordanian students and the Kingdom grants 5 for Pakistanis.

He lauded the efforts of both Jordan and Pakistan to highlight the true image of Islam as a faith of tolerance and moderation.

On regional conflicts, the ambassador stressed the importance of achieving Palestinian statehood and finding a solution to the issue of Kashmir in line with UN Security Council resolutions.

(Petra)