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Ammon News - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to Jordan, George Cristian Maior, has said that Jordan and his country have had an excellent partnership for over 57 years since the two countries established diplomatic relations.

In an interview with Petra, the ambassador emphasized that his country sees Jordan as a partner, a significant contributor to regional stability and security, and a shining example of resilience in the face of common challenges.

He continued by saying that the Kingdom has had to overcome more recent and unpredictable obstacles while playing a crucial role in a troubled and complex region.

"We consider of utmost importance and very timely the economic modernization vision, a project for the benefit of the Jordanian people," Maior said.
The ambassador emphasized that Romania supports Jordan, which he said is a trusted NATO ally, bilaterally as well as in its capacity as an EU member, saying: "As per our bilateral relations, there are close consultations and coordination, especially on regional issues and matters of joint interest".

He noted reciprocal visits by the foreign ministers of both countries in 2022 over bilateral diplomatic dialogue.

Regarding economic cooperation and two-way trade, Maior stated that his nation pays special attention to advancing trade ties with Jordan and that the two nations should place food security and green energy cooperation at the top of their agendas.

"In recent years, there has been an upward trend in bilateral trade, which has benefited both economies. We believe that a strengthened relationship between our nations will increase Jordan's exports to Romania. In addition, Jordanian businesses can take advantage of Romania's geographical location, which provides easy access to the major EU markets. Therefore, we encourage Jordanian firms to invest in Romania and use our nation as a trade and business hub for Europe", the ambassador noted.

Speaking of tourism, the Romanian envoy noted that Jordan has recently emerged as one of the most popular travel destinations in the Middle East. In 2022, a significant number of Romanians traveled to Jordan as a result of numerous TV sets in their country broadcasting Jordan's rich historical and cultural heritage.

The Romanian community in Jordan consists of over 5,000 people, the vast majority of whom are members of mixed families, according to Maior, who added: "The Romanian community is not our only resource; in Jordan, we have over 14,000 Jordanian citizens who spent their university years in Romania beginning in the 1970s, of whom we are very proud and consider to be true friends of my country."

He stated that the embassy intends to support the Romanian community by organizing events celebrating Romanian cultural heritage, and that the embassy intends to launch a Romanian language course at the University of Jordan in 2023, benefiting both Jordanians of Romanian origin and Jordanians who wish to study in Romania in the future.

The ambassador emphasized Romania's interest in expanding bilateral cooperation in education, citing a recent Jordanian-Romanian protocol that increased the number of annual scholarships granted by Romania to Jordanian students studying medicine from 10 to 26. Currently, up to 100 scholarships in different areas (bachelor's, master's, Ph.D., specialization) are awarded, according to Maior.

He added that establishing direct relations between Romanian and Jordanian universities is an effective means of increasing student and teacher exchange, including through participation in European programs such as Erasmus+.

The ambassador stated that during a recent high-level dialogue between Romanian and Jordanian officials, it was reiterated that Romania has a long-standing, consistent, and unwavering support for implementing the two-state solution, which would allow Israel and the Palestinians to coexist in peace and security under international law.