The Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) and Malaysian Ambassador Muhammad Nasri bin Abdul Rahman have decided to organize a Jordanian economic forum in Amman. The event will bring together Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) state members that have embassies in Jordan, namely Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Brunei before year-end. A mutual agreement has also been reached to hold an online meeting to arrange for the signing of memoranda of understanding between Jordan and ASEAN, which is a regional grouping that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Trade between Jordan and ASEAN countries grew by 42 percent in 2022 compared to 2021. According to statistical data from the ACC, the Kingdom’s trade with the Asian bloc amounted to JD1.279 billion, compared to JD900 million in 2021. In a meeting between the ambassador and the ACC board members on Sunday, Chairman Khalil Haj Tawfiq expressed the commercial sector’s eagerness to enhance the Kingdom’s relations with ASEAN member states, given the significant economic and investment potential that these states offer. He stressed the need to strengthen economic cooperation with Malaysia through the exchange of trade delegations and the establishment of trade exhibitions. Tawfiq urged Malaysian entrepreneurs and investors to explore the investment opportunities in Jordan across various economic sectors, highlighting the Kingdom’s benefits and incentives provided to foreign investors. An airline service connecting Amman and Kuala Lumpur must be brought back in order to facilitate tourism and business activities between the two nations, he added. The ambassador said Jordan holds significant importance as a commercial and economic partner for Malaysia in the region, highlighting that the relations between the two nations have witnessed remarkable progress across various fields since their inception in 1965. He invited the ACC to participate in the “Halal” industry exhibition, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur next September. Pointing to the 1,500 Malaysian students in Jordanian universities, Rahman lauded the advanced level of the Kingdom’s education system, underscoring the need to broaden the selection of products traded between the two nations and focus on agricultural commodities, food industries, and medicine, given the impressive reputation of the Jordanian pharmaceutical industry.
Source: Jordan News Agency