MOSCOW, May 5. /TASS/. The level of the relationship between Russia and Jordan in the trade and investment field does not match the high level of bilateral political ties, Chairman of the Jordan Investment Commission (JIC) Faridon Hartouqa told TASS on Wednesday.
"The potential of trade, economic and investment cooperation between Russia and Jordan has not been realized. For us to move further in this direction, both sides need to do a lot of work," he said.
The commentator referred to the bilateral relations at the political level as "very strong." "At the political level, bilateral relations between Russia and Jordan are very strong thanks to the strong personal relationship between King Abdullah II and President Vladimir Putin. What we need now is to build strong relations in other sectors - to develop trade, economic and technological cooperation, ties in the fields of investment, education," he noted.
The specialist singled out the information and communication sector as one of the most promising fields of trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Jordan.
"The information and communication sector is one of the key sectors in the Jordanian economy. We want to make our country the hub of information and communication technologies in the region and see great interest in Jordan from large international companies. And I think that in this area, Russia and Jordan can implement many innovative projects," he added.
Jordan ranks 86th among Russia’s trade partners, with trade turnover between the countries equaling around $400 mln per year.
Jordan at Expo 2020
The Jordan Investment Commission is a state organization responsible for attracting investment into the country and developing national exports. Hartouqa is currently attending the Expo 2020 International Participants Meeting in Dubai.
He hoped that Jordan’s participation in the expo will help attract tourists and investments to the Middle Eastern country.
"The tourism sector in Jordan is actively developing. We hope that Russian tourists will consider Jordan as a possible holiday destination. We are confident that Russians will greatly enjoy the weather in Jordan, the food, and the rich culture of our country," the expert said.
Global universal exhibitions have been held since 1851 and are the most wide-scale international platforms for presenting cutting-edge achievements and technologies. Expo 2020 was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and will be held in Dubai from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. That is going to be the first global expo to be held in the Middle East. Osaka is preparing to hold Expo 2025.
Russia applied to host Expo 2030 at the end of April. Should it win the bid, the global exhibition would take place in Moscow.