Amman, December 15 (IANS). Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Jordan’s King Abdullah II at Al Husseiniya Palace in Amman. During this, he proposed to set a target of increasing the bilateral trade between the two countries to 5 billion US dollars in the next five years.
According to an official statement, India is Jordan’s third largest trading partner. PM Modi said that both the countries should work together towards further strengthening mutual trade and economic cooperation.
After the meeting, Prime Minister Modi wrote on social media platform
Prime Minister Modi also pitched for cooperation between Jordan’s digital payments system and India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI). The statement said Jordan is an important supplier of fertilizers to India and talks are underway between companies from the two countries to invest in Jordan to meet the growing demand for phosphatic fertilizers in India.
Earlier, PM Modi was warmly welcomed by King Abdullah II and given a formal state honour. The two leaders held restricted and delegation-level talks in which they recalled their previous meetings and underlined the historical and friendly relations between the two countries.
The leaders said the visit comes at a time when India and Jordan are celebrating 75 years of the establishment of their diplomatic relations, making the visit historic. Prime Minister Modi appreciated King Abdullah’s commitment to strengthening India-Jordan relations.
King Abdullah II supported India’s fight against terrorism and condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Prime Minister Modi praised King Abdullah’s leadership and his contribution to global efforts to combat terrorism, extremism and radicalism.
During the talks, the two leaders discussed further deepening cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, defense and security, renewable energy, fertilizers and agriculture, innovation, IT and digital technology, critical minerals, infrastructure, health and pharma, education and capacity building, tourism and heritage, culture and people-to-people contacts.
They also exchanged views on regional and global issues and reiterated the importance of restoring peace and stability in the region. Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed India’s support for efforts for lasting peace in the region.
On this occasion, both the countries finalized Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) related to culture, renewable energy, water management, digital public infrastructure and twinning arrangement between Petra-Ellora. These agreements are expected to give new impetus to India-Jordan bilateral relations and friendship.
After the talks, King Abdullah II hosted a banquet in honor of Prime Minister Modi. Prime Minister Modi also invited King Abdullah to visit India, which he accepted.
–IANS
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