Prime Minister, Dr. Bisher Khasawneh, discussed on Thursday, with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marc Garneau, the bilateral relations and developments in the Middle East region.
During the meeting, which was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi, Khasawneh stressed the “deep-rooted, distinguished” Jordanian-Canadian relations in all fields, adding that meetings and contacts between His Majesty King Abdullah II and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau opened “broader” horizons for joint cooperation.
Expressing Jordan’s appreciation for Canada’s support to the Kingdom, Khasawneh pointed to the possibility of increasing joint cooperation in the infrastructure, water desalination and education fields.
The PM stressed the importance of enhancing benefits from the free trade agreement (FTA) linking Jordan and Canada, increasing volume of joint trade exchange, which is “still below the level of ambition and the two countries’ available capabilities” and removing any obstacles pertaining to their trade exchange flow.
The PM and Garneau were briefed on the challenges facing Jordan, imposed as a result of regional conditions, especially with regard to hosting Syrian refugees, and the ensuing pressure on the Kingdom’s services, infrastructure and job opportunities.
For his part, Garneau lauded as “close and strong’ the relations between the two countries, bolstered by their common values and their quest to enhance security and stability efforts in the Middle East.
Garneau expressed Canada’s appreciation for Jordan’s role in the region and its understanding of the Kingdom’s challenges as a result of receiving Syrian refugees, stressing that Canada stands by the Kingdom in facing these challenges.
Jordan could be a destination for Canadian tourists, given its tourist, historical and religious sites, Garneau pointed out.
In force since October 2012, Jordan and Canada signed a free trade agreement, the first that Ottawa signed with an Arab country. Volume of trade exchange between the two countries in 2020 amounted to $106.7 million, of which $62.7 million were Jordanian exports to the Canadian market, compared to $44 million Jordanian imports from Canada.
Source: Jordan News Agency