Kingdom, Russia talk measures to deepen ties across the board

AMMAN —  Jordan and Russia on Thursday signed the protocol of the fifth meeting of the joint ministerial committee for development, trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation.

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Wissam Rabadi and Russia’s Minister of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev signed the protocol in Amman. 

The signing ceremony was preceded by a ministerial meeting that reviewed cooperation in the fields of trade, economy and investment, agriculture, energy, industry, transport, communications, information technology, customs, education, culture, tourism, monuments and health.  The Russian Ambassador to Jordan, Gleb Desiatnikov, attended the meeting and the signing ceremony.

Rabadi said that the fifth meeting of the joint ministerial committee came as a follow-up to the discussions that took place between the leaders of the two countries during the visit of His Majesty King Abdullah in October of this year to the Russian Federation.

During the visit to Russia, His Majesty King Abdullah held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi that covered the strategic partnership between the two countries and the latest regional and international developments. 

The talks also covered means of bolstering cooperation in various sectors, particularly in the economy and defence fields.

King Abdullah and President Putin agreed to increase trade exchange and to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in agriculture, religious tourism, student exchange and defence.

 “These meetings are considered an important acknowledgement of Jordan’s pivotal and moderating role in the region and also coincide with the occasion of 55 years of diplomatic relations between the two brotherly countries,” Rabadi told reporters following the signing ceremony.

The minister referred to the most important points discussed during the fifth meeting with the Russian side, highlighting economic, investment and trade matters.

“We are keen on benefitting from Russia’s experience and possible contribution in implementing projects in the fields of air transportation, rail systems, renewable energy, water, health and infrastructure, among other fields,” Rabadi said.

He added that the two sides discussed means of implementing these projects through cooperation between the private and the public sectors.

“We are working on preparing certain projects to be implemented in a partnership style between the two sectors, and at the same time include the Russian private sector as a part of the implementation process,” Rabadi stressed.

The minister noted an additional focus on the importance of cooperation between the Jordanian and the Russian private sectors.

During the press conference, Patrushev pointed out the important roles of King Abdullah and Russian President Vladimir Putin in strengthening the Jordanian-Russian relationship.

“Jordan and Russia enjoy a deep relationship that is constantly developing and growing,” Patrushev said.

 Meanwhile, the two sides agreed during the fifth meeting to hold a joint meeting for businesspeople in 2020 to strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation and opportunities between the two countries.

 The two sides also agreed on the importance of establishing a Russian industrial zone in the Kingdom to benefit from the opportunities and privileges that the Jordanian industrial zones offer through free trade agreements signed by the Kingdom.

The Russian and Jordanian sides also discussed the possibility of signing a free trade agreement between Jordan and Euro-Asian countries.

Concerning the agricultural sector, the two sides agreed on continuing to work on ensuring the production of a variety of agricultural products to be exported to the markets of both countries.

The two parts also agreed on expanding cooperation in the tourism sector and discussed the possibility of Russia’s participation in developing the national Jordanian rail system.