Ensour underlines developing Jordan-COMESA commercial ties

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Thursday stressed the importance of developing commercial cooperation between Jordan and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

At a meeting with COMESA Secretary General Sindiso Ngwenya, Ensour reviewed the Kingdom's endeavours to boost the national economy, open new export markets, attract investors and developing the commercial ties with COMESA countries.

In 2007, Jordan signed a cooperation memorandum with the COMESA secretariat general, that covered economic, commercial, investment and tourist fields, and Jordan was accepted as an observer in the organisation in 2006.

Ngwenya said the 20-country COMESA is an important market, since the group's population reaches around 472.1 people with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $256 billion. He also noted that the average GDP growth for its countries is around 4.4 per cent, and Jordanian products can be exported to the group through the Red Sea.

Ngwenya praised the Jordanian products' quality and their ability to compete in international markets, stressing the importance of enhancing cooperation between Jordanian businesspeople and exporters with COMESA countries.

Total Jordanian exports to COMESA in 2014 reached JD218 million, while imports reached JD472 million.