President of the Senate Faisal Fayez met with his French counterpart Gerard Larcher in the capital Paris on Thursday.
Discussions went over means of enhancing ties, particularly in parliamentary and economic fields, and increasing joint investment and cooperation to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russo-Ukrainian war fallout and its effects on food and energy security.
Fayez lauded the deep-rooted, based on mutual respect, Jordanian-French ties and indicated that the Kingdom sees France as a key partner in bringing about peace in the region.
He called for increased economic and investment partnerships and trade exchange, urging French investors to benefit from the “safe and encouraging” investment opportunities available in energy, water, religious and historical tourism, public transportation, technology, and food security projects.
Jordan has made political and economic reforms despite surrounding crises and disputes in order to reach programmatic party parliamentary governments, economically and politically enable youth and women, and boost public participation in national responsibilities, Fayez said.
The reforms, he added, aim to develop the investment environment and protect investors and encourage them to benefit from the country’s features.
He pointed out the need to establish a French university in Jordan due to its significant role in bolstering cultural ties between the two countries.
Regarding the region’s status quo, Fayez indicated that the international community should shoulder its responsibilities to peacefully settle disputes and political crises in the region, urging an “effective partnership” between nations to combat terrorism, Covid-19, and the Russian-Ukrainian war and mitigate their ramifications on food and energy security.
He praised the French support for settling the Arab-Israeli conflict through the two-state solution and international legitimacy resolutions, which guarantee an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.
For his part, the French Senate President commended the critical role of His Majesty King Abdullah in backing international efforts to end conflicts and fight terrorism in the region. He pointed to the deep-rooted relations with Jordan, saying there is “a spirit of positivity and common grounds between the two nations that facilitate cooperation.”
He praised Jordan’s role in providing a decent life for Syrian refugees among others in the Kingdom and emphasized the need to support the Kingdom in its humanitarian mission.
Through the French-Jordanian Parliamentary Friendship Committee, the French Senate will work on increasing investment in Jordan and French tourists and activating partnerships between trade and industry chambers in both countries, according to Larcher.
Source: Jordan News Agency