(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)
Amman, July 21 (Petra) - A recent visit by a Jordanian trade delegation to Tunisia marks a significant milestone in bilateral economic relations, signaling a new era of collaboration in commercial, industrial, and
investment sectors.
Organized by the Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) in cooperation with the Tunisian Embassy in Amman, the visit included extensive meetings with representatives from Tunisia's public and private sectors.
The discussions resulted in a series of understandings and the renewal of agreements, paving the way for broader economic engagement that aligns with the mutual interests of both nations.
Highlighting the potential for cooperation, the ACC emphasized the economic agreements that link Jordan and Tunisia with various global economic blocs, facilitating their presence in regional markets such as Europe and Africa.
During the visit, which spanned several days, promising investment opportunities were identified across sectors including textiles, automotive parts manufacturing, food industries, tourism, logistics, and medical supplies. The Tunisian side also expressed keen interest in investing in Jordan, leveraging its advantageous business environment.
In 2023, bilateral trade between Jordan and Tunisia reached $35 million, evenly split between the two countries. Jordan's exports, primarily in chemicals, plastics, textiles, metals, food products, and agricultural goods, underscore the diversified nature of economic exchange.
Moving forward, immediate plans include organizing sector-specific visits for business owners from both countries, with the first delegation focused on the clothing and footwear sector scheduled to visit Tunisia within the next two months. This initiative aims to foster knowledge exchange and explore opportunities for trade cooperation and joint ventures.
In meetings with Tunisian Minister of Trade and Export Development, Kalthoum Ben Rejeb, Khalil Haj Tawfiq, ACC President, emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation between businesses in the two countries.
He advocated for addressing impediments to trade flow across legislative, logistical, and administrative domains, while proposing the establishment of a joint higher committee to facilitate joint exhibitions and networking events.
Minister Ben Rejeb emphasized the importance of such meetings in enhancing economic ties and identifying new avenues for trade, particularly in strategic sectors like pharmaceuticals, automotive components, electrical goods, and food industries. She underscored Tunisia's role as a gateway to Africa and Jordan's strategic positioning for Gulf markets, emphasizing the potential for enhanced economic integration.
Discussions also highlighted opportunities to strengthen tourism cooperation and promote each country as a destination through reciprocal initiatives. The delegation stressed the importance of regular exchanges and exhibitions to deepen ties between Jordanian and Tunisian businesses, supported by an updated joint database on economic and investment opportunities.
The delegation, comprising key figures and representatives from the logistics and textile sectors, also met with President of the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts Samir Majoul. Discussions focused on enhancing economic relations and expanding trade exchanges, underscoring mutual commitment to advancing bilateral economic cooperation.
In his address at the Tunisian Confederation, Hajj Tawfiq highlighted the economic dimension of Jordanian-Tunisian relations, advocating for a robust economic foundation centered on joint investments and expanded business opportunities. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive database to assess Tunisia's economic sectors and investment climate, urging increased Tunisian investments in Jordan.
Hajj Tawfiq also noted the untapped potential in sectors such as textiles, design, pharmaceuticals, mining, and tourism, urging concerted efforts to capitalize on existing synergies and propel bilateral economic ties to new heights.
Majoul emphasized the necessity of establishing an economic program between the two countries, prioritizing the encouragement of investments and leveraging their strategic locations near neighboring markets.
He highlighted Tunisia's substantial capabilities across various economic sectors, serving as a gateway to both African and European markets. Majoul referenced successful Jordanian investment ventures in Tunisia as potential models to bolster Jordanian investments further, advocating for the formulation of a comprehensive strategy for economic cooperation. Special emphasis was placed on sectors such as agriculture and renewable energy.
Meanwhile, discussions with the Tunisian Export Promotion Centre Chief, Murad Bin Hussein, focused on fostering bilateral investment cooperation. Emphasis was placed on increasing partnership through more frequent meetings between the public and private sectors of both countries. The delegation underscored the importance of organizing joint meetings and exchange visits of trade delegations to explore new partnership opportunities.
Haj Tawfiq highlighted that this meeting reinforces the strong and enduring relations between Jordan and Tunisia, aiming to expand cooperation and economic partnership.
Additionally, he emphasized the necessity of promoting trade exchange and investment opportunities, advocating for exhibitions and trade events to showcase the products, opportunities, and capabilities of both countries.
Haj Tawfiq elaborated on the potential benefits for Tunisian companies and investors, citing Jordan's trade agreements with numerous countries and shared interests in sectors such as renewable energy, tourism (including medical tourism), information technology, food industries, and agriculture.
Both sides stressed the urgency of increasing trade delegation visits and hosting exhibitions to enhance networking between Jordanian and Tunisian businessmen. They also emphasized the importance of maintaining an updated joint database on economic and investment opportunities to expand the range of traded goods and explore new investment prospects.
During the visit, the delegation renewed cooperation agreements with key Tunisian entities. The first agreement was between the Amman Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Centre of Tunisia, while the second was with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Sfax
The visit also included bilateral meetings with companies, visits to several factories, and discussions with various professional unions, associations, and commercial and industrial sectors in the Tunisian capital, Sousse, and Sfax.
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