Ammon News - His Majesty King Abdullah II and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the opening session of the India-Jordan Business Forum in Amman on Tuesday.

The forum, attended by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, was held to strengthen economic partnerships, expand cooperation prospects, and open new markets between the two countries.

It was organised by the Jordan Chamber of Commerce with the participation of representatives from more than 20 leading Indian companies, and national companies operating in vital sectors.

In his opening remarks at the forum, His Majesty highlighted Jordan’s readiness to expand economic and investment cooperation with India in various sectors and increase trade exchange.

Commending India’s remarkable growth in various economic fields, the King expressed hope that the forum would contribute to advancing the economic partnership between the two countries towards new horizons and shared priorities.

His Majesty touched on Jordan’s most prominent competitive advantages in key sectors, such as food, fertilisers, pharmaceuticals, textiles, ICT, energy, mining, tourism, advanced industries, and logistical services.

The King highlighted the importance of leveraging Jordan’s strategic geographical location and advanced logistics capabilities to promote the establishment of integrated logistics and manufacturing hubs, noting that the integration of Jordan’s transport network with the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) presents a significant opportunity to enhance cooperation in this area.

For his part, Prime Minister Modi noted his country’s interest in developing economic cooperation with Jordan, particularly in sectors such as digital infrastructure and communications, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and agriculture.

The prime minister said Jordan, under the leadership of His Majesty, has become a bridge connecting many countries, stressing the need to capitalise on this advantage to enhance opportunities for trade cooperation.

He added that in the past, trade between India and Europe passed through Petra, highlighting the importance of restoring these routes in order to develop future trade growth.

The forum witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Jordan Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, with the aim of strengthening relations and economic cooperation to facilitate trade, encourage investment, coordinate between sectors, and exchange knowledge and expertise.

Director of the Office of His Majesty Alaa Batayneh, Minister of Industry, Trade, and Supply and Escort of Honour Yarub Qudah, India’s Ambassador to Jordan Manish Chauhan, and representatives of chambers of commerce and the private sector in both countries attended the forum’s opening session.