Palestine-Jordan to Increase Volume of Trade Exchange

Ramallah, MINA – Palestinian Minister of National Economy Khaled Al-Asaily and Jordanian Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Maha Ali agreed to proceed with the implementation of an action plan to increase the volume of trade exchange and enhance economic cooperation between the two countries.

According to Wafa, it is in accordance with the agreements and memoranda concluded between them, which review work on implementing it relatively, given the health repercussions of the “Corona” pandemic on the economies of the two countries.

It came during a symposium organized by the Palestinian-Jordanian Business Forum through visual communication technology, entitled “Prospects and Challenges of Developing Trade Exchange between Jordan and Palestine”, in the presence of representatives from the Palestinian and Jordanian public and private sectors, and businessmen from both countries.

“The volume of trade exchange between the two countries amounts to about $ 360 million, which is a modest figure and does not meet the ambitions. Solutions must be found for cooperation, communication and networking between businessmen in both countries, to increase trade and investment up to one billion dollars annually,” Al-Asaily said.

There is a joint action plan to increase the volume of trade exchange, and it reflects the commitment of the two governments to establish effective and adequate frameworks to increase the volume of trade exchange.

What was brought about by the plan in terms of preparing and exchanging commodity lists, and carrying out a field visit to a number of Jordanian factories, and the Amman Chamber of Industry,” Before a Palestinian delegation consisting of the public and private sectors, in coordination with the Jordanian Ministry of Trade and Industry

“We will continue our efforts with the Jordanian side to develop cooperation horizons, by establishing a joint Jordanian-Palestinian free zones company, activating the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries in the field of encouraging mutual investments, in addition to developing a mutual recognition agreement in the field of specifications and standards, and many areas.” Cooperation that is discussed periodically with our brothers on the Jordanian side,” He added.

Al-Osaily pointed to the decline in work in the implementation of the joint work plan, due to the measures resulting from the “Corona” pandemic, as work has been relatively stopped in implementing what emerged from the plan.

He indicated that it was agreed during the ministerial meeting on a number of issues that would facilitate the movement of trade, such as: implementing the mechanism for transporting goods according to the Door-to-Door system, and expanding the range of goods and quantitative quotas included in the commodity lists, but they are still subject to review The Paris Economic Protocol, and its discussion with the Israeli side, which continues to violate its provisions.

He expressed his aspiration for the role of the Kingdom of Jordan in all these issues, especially on the road linking the agricultural industrial city of Jericho and the city of Shouneh, and the pressure on the Israeli side, in order to facilitate Palestinian trade.

In turn, Minister Maha Al-Ali stressed that the volume of trade exchange between Jordan and Palestine is modest, and does not reflect the size of the relationship between the two countries, and places a joint responsibility on the two parties to work to increase it, not to retreat, and to overcome all obstacles to increasing trade exchange.

“We know that there are obstacles in the crossings, shipping and exporting, and this is reflected in the cost of export,” she said, “We must work together to overcome difficulties and obstacles.”. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)