(MENAFN - Jordan Times) Industry and Trade Minister Shabib Ammari on Monday urged the Jordanian private sector and its Russian counterpart to set up joint investments and benefit from the opportunities available in both countries.
At the opening of the Jordanian-Russian Business Forum, the minister said Jordan looks forward to strengthening economic, investment and commercial relations with Russia.
In his address, the minister highlighted Jordan's financial and political stability and its drive towards reform, noting that the Kingdom started to forge out of the difficult economic conditions resulting from the global economic recession.
According to Maha Ali, the ministry's secretary general, the volume of Jordanian-Russian commercial exchange amounted to around 264 million.
This figure clearly reflect the need for more efforts to increase commercial exchange and bring up joint investment, in light of the distinguished relations between Jordan and Russia, she told the audience.
Russian-Arab Business Council (RABC) Director Tatiana Gvilava emphasised the importance of bringing up the trade volume, noting that the council discussed this issue in order to draw up plans that can help activate business between both countries.
Gvilava said both countries have vast opportunities that have not been exploited yet, expressing hope to see Jordanian vegetables and fruits in the Russian markets, especially during the winter season.
Valery A. Kononenko, deputy chairman of Russian-Jordanian Business Council, reiterated that the Jordanian and the Russian private sectors should work further to boost joint trade.
Kononenko said today's visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Kingdom represents a strong push for both sides to work together to eliminate obstacles hampering the development of economic and commercial relations.
Jordan's Ambassador in Moscow Ahmad Al Hassan said Russia's customs procedures pose hurdles to the chances available to increase the Kingdom's exports to Russia, despite the presence of excellent political relations.
An agreement should be signed to facilitate customs procedures to allow the entry of Jordanian products, mainly fruits and vegetables, into Russia, he noted.
