India, Jordan ‘in constant expansion of cooperation’ — ambassador

AMMAN — Jordanian-Indian relations have always been characterised by warmth and goodwill based on mutual respect in various arenas and more needs to be done to boost cooperation in trade exchange between the two countries,  Indian Ambassador in Amman Shubhdarshini Tripathi said Tuesday.

Jordan and India need to diversify trade and have more business interaction to achieve the desired trade target of $5 billion by 2025, up from $1.04 billion recorded in 2017, the ambassador said in an interview with The Jordan Times on the occasion of the 72nd Independence Day of India, which falls on Wednesday.

The first bilateral agreement for cooperation and friendly relations was signed in 1947 and formalised in 1950 when the two countries established full-fledged diplomatic ties, according to the ambassador.

“We are constantly identifying new areas of cooperation in the commercial sector. In July 2017, the Economic and Trade Cooperation Agreement was signed to further expand and diversify our trade relations and promote economic, trade and investment cooperation,” she said, stressing “we are sure that, under the guidance of our political leadership, the economic and commercial cooperation between our two countries is poised at a high growth trajectory”.

A prominent investor in the Kingdom, India was Jordan’s fourth largest trading partner in 2014. It currently imports fertilisers, phosphates, phosphoric acid from Jordan and exports electrical machinery, cereals, frozen meat, organic and inorganic chemicals, engineering and automotive parts,  among others.

She said that the joint venture project between the Indian Farmers Fertilisers Cooperative of India and the Jordan Phosphate Mines Co., Jordan India Fertiliser Co., worth $860 million, aims to produce phosphoric acid and “is progressing well”.  

“Our political, commercial and technical relations have witnessed a great momentum this year.  A series of high level visits have given a fillip to our bilateral ties,” the ambassador stated, referring to His Majesty King Abdullah’s visit to India this year where the two countries signed 12 memoranda of understanding in various areas.  

High level visits from both sides have highlighted a new dynamism in bilateral relations, with certain key areas identified for further bilateral cooperation, including customs cooperation, ICT, Telecom, cultural exchanges, enhancing people-to-people contacts, education and training, among others.

On tourism, Tripathi said the number of Indian tourists coming to the Kingdom is on the rise.

“Besides its scenic beauty and historic sites, Jordan offers a unique blend of culture, history, food, wellness, adventure and warm hospitality that continues to draw tourists not only from India but from all over the world,” she said, referring to “an impressive growth” of 18.4 per cent in overnight visitors from India last year. 

“The number of Indian ‘daily’ visitors witnessed a declining trend of 4.5 per cent, indicating that visitors were spending more time in Jordan.  The average length of stay of Indian visitors — both leisure and business — also increased to 2.8 days,” she commented.

Eased visa restrictions for Indian nationals, who can now obtain a visa at the border crossings, will also help boost tourism, the ambassador noted.

On the number of Jordanian visitors to India, Tripathi said the embassy witnessed a small decline of 5.7 per cent in issuance of tourist visas to Jordanian nationals visiting India in 2017.  

“Restoration of direct connectivity could be the first step towards promotion of tourism and commerce both ways.  This would also encourage tourists from India to stay longer to enjoy Jordan’s beautiful sights and attractions,” she said.

She commended the “leading role” played by Jordan in the region, including exceptional humanitarian efforts in hosting the waves of refugees despite tremendous strain on its socio-economic resources.

Tripathi said that her government has contributed half a million dollars through the UN to the Emergency Response Fund for Jordan in 2014, a cash of the same value in Amman in 2015 and a $2million cash grant in December 2016.   

In response to a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Flash Appeal, the Government of India also increased its annual contribution for UNRWA from $1.25 million to $5 million from 2018-19 for three years.