(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)

Amman, November 11 (Petra) – His Majesty King Abdullah II's working tour of Asia included a key stop in Japan, where he held ten high-level meetings with senior officials and leading figures to strengthen the strategic partnership and deepen the historic friendship between the two countries.
The meetings, held in Tokyo, reflected ongoing efforts to expand cooperation between Jordan and Japan partners for more than 70 years and to build on Japan's longstanding support for Jordan's development and reform efforts.
During the visit, the King met with Emperor Naruhito of Japan, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, where discussions focused on the close historical ties between the two nations and ways to enhance collaboration in defence, economic and development fields.
His Majesty met with the Chair and CEO of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), representatives from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), major Japanese corporations and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The talks explored investment opportunities and avenues to boost economic and trade cooperation.
Further meetings with Speaker of the House of Representatives Fukushiro Nukaga, President of the House of Councillors Masakazu Sekiguchi, Chairman of the Jordanian–Japanese Parliamentary Friendship Committee Kazunori Tanaka and the Chairman of the Jordanian–Japanese Friendship Association highlighted the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in advancing political, economic and cultural ties.
During the visit, the two sides signed a number of cooperation agreements, including a $100 million soft loan from Japan to support Jordan's economic growth and human development programme, and a $5 million grant to strengthen national cybersecurity capabilities reflecting Japan's firm commitment to Jordan's development and resilience.
His Majesty's discussions emphasised the need to increase Japanese investment in Jordan's promising sectors and to encourage greater engagement between the two countries' private sectors to create new opportunities for trade and cooperation.
Economic relations between Jordan and Japan have grown steadily in recent years. Official data shows that bilateral trade reached $394 million in 2024, while Japan's total assistance to Jordan since 1999 has exceeded $2.2 billion, supporting vital projects across multiple sectors.
Under its 2024–2027 development plan, Japan has allocated an additional $400 million to finance development programmes and projects in Jordan, aimed at boosting economic capacity and improving essential services.
Jordan's active participation in Expo 2025 Osaka has strengthened its global presence.
The Jordanian pavilion, which won two gold awards and attracted over 1.25 million visitors, helped promote the Kingdom's investment potential and tourism appeal to an international audience.

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