Ali, Dubreuil discuss cooperation

AMMAN — Industry, Trade and Supply Minister Maha Ali and Pierre Dubreuil, the executive vice president of financing at Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), on Saturday examined ways to increase cooperation between the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO) and the BDC.

At a meeting with Dubreuil, who is currently visiting the Kingdom, Ali and Dubreuil reviewed scheduled meetings with private sector representatives to boost cooperation. Ali said JEDCO needs to benefit from the bank's expertise, especially in implementing small- and medium-scale enterprises.

The BDC offers financing and consulting services, besides supporting entrepreneurs, in particular. Canada is an important commercial partner for Jordan, she said, underscoring the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed between both countries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Fully implemented in 2010, the FTA which grants Jordanian goods duty-free access to the Canadian market has also been accompanied by agreements on labour cooperation, the environment, and foreign investment protection and promotion.