Safadi, Canadian minister talk ties, region

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Canadian Minister of International Development Harjit Sajjan on Wednesday went over opportunities to expand economic cooperation between the two countries.

They focused on the fields of agriculture, water, energy and trade, in addition to the Canadian labour market benefiting from Jordanian competencies. 

Safadi and Sajjan stressed the success of coordination channels in development fields, and expressed their keenness to develop the "strong friendship", according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

Safadi commended Canada's efforts in supporting the development process in Jordan and helping the Kingdom face economic challenges and the repercussions of regional crises, mainly those pertaining to the hosting of refugees.

He also expressed gratitude for Canada's support of UNRWA, where the deputy premier stressed the need to continue to provide the necessary assistance to the UN agency to enable it perform its duties according to its UN mandate.

The two ministers also discussed several regional and international issues of mutual interest and efforts exerted to find solutions to Middle East crises.

Sajjan expressed his country's keenness to further enhance cooperation with the Kingdom, voicing Canada's appreciation for Jordan’s main role in enhancing peace and security in the region.

Diplomatic ties between Jordan and Canada date back to 1964. Canada implements several development projects in the Kingdom in various fields such as energy, water, environment and education through the Sustainable Energy and Economic Development in Jordan Project (SEED).

The two countries in 2012 also signed a free trade agreement that facilitated commercial exchange that amounted to $106.7 million in 2020, according to the statement.