Tokyo, November 11 (Petra)-His Majesty King Abdullah II, during a meeting with Japan Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae in Tokyo on Tuesday, called for stepping up efforts to expand economic cooperation between Jordan and Japan in various fields, particularly among private sector institutions.
His Majesty congratulated Prime Minister Takaichi on taking office last month, and affirmed Jordan’s commitment to building on its strategic partnership with Japan.
The King expressed pride in the deep-rooted relations between the two countries, which span more than 70 years.
During the meeting attended by His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, His Majesty’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy the King expressed appreciation for Japan’s financial and technical assistance to Jordan for the implementation of projects across a number of vital sectors.
His Majesty and Prime Minister Takaichi also stressed the importance of the agreements signed on the sidelines of the visit between the two governments in the fields of cybersecurity, and supporting economic growth and human development.
Turning to the latest developments in the region, the King stressed the need for all parties to adhere to the agreement to end the war on Gaza, to halt unilateral measures against Palestinians in the West Bank, and cease violations against Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
His Majesty urged bolstering the humanitarian response in Gaza, and mobilising support for UNRWA to enable it to fulfil its UN mandate, highlighting Japan’s vital efforts in this regard.
The King underscored the imperative of supporting Palestinians in attaining their full, legitimate rights, and the establishment of their independent state on the basis of the two-state solution.
For her part, Prime Minister Takaichi welcomed His Majesty’s visit to Japan, and expressed her respect for the important role Jordan plays as a cornerstone of regional stability, under the King’s leadership, noting her readiness to further deepen the bilateral ties upheld by the strategic partnership with Jordan.
Takaichi commended His Majesty's leadership in advancing economic reform efforts in Jordan, noting the importance of establishing a public-private joint committee to enhance the business environment and promote investment in Jordan, in order to support the activities of Japanese companies operating in the Kingdom.
On the sidelines of His Majesty’s visit to Tokyo, Jordan and Japan signed a soft loan agreement valued at $100 million for the "Enhancing Resilience for Economic Growth and Human Capital Development Program", a $5 million grant to build national capacities in cybersecurity, and a memorandum of cooperation on cybersecurity. Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan signed the agreements on behalf of Jordan.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Director of the Office of His Majesty Alaa Batayneh, Planning Minister Toukan, and Jordan’s Ambassador to Japan Nasser Shraideh attended the meeting.
//Petra// AG
