AMMAN — Jordan and the Russian Federation have agreed on a series of measures to strengthen bilateral economic, trade and investment ties, and expand cooperation in key sectors.

 

The agreements were reached at the conclusion of the seventh session of the Jordanian-Russian Intergovernmental Joint Committee for Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, held in Moscow from September 8 to 11.

 

The high-level meetings were co-chaired by Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Qudah and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

 

The sessions brought together senior government officials and representatives from both countries, including Minister of Agriculture Saeb Khraisat, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Imad Hijazeen, Jordanian Ambassador to Russia Khalid Shawabkeh and Russian Ambassador to Jordan Gleb F. Desyatnikov.

 

Qudah stressed the need to diversify trade in goods and services, increase Jordanian companies’ participation in Russian trade exhibitions and encourage private-sector stakeholders to explore bilateral investment opportunities.

 

He highlighted opportunities for cooperation in pharmaceuticals, transport infrastructure and manufacturing, noting that Russian companies could benefit from Jordan’s network of free trade agreements with major markets.

 

Qudah also highlighted Jordan’s potential as a logistics hub and base for Russian companies seeking to participate in future reconstruction projects in neighbouring Syria and Iraq. He briefed the Russian side on advanced negotiations for preferential trade agreements with Rwanda and Uzbekistan, which would create additional opportunities for Jordanian exports to African and Central Asian markets.

 

Qudah also called for regular meetings of the joint committee and announced that Amman will host its eighth session in 2027.

 

Patrushev described Jordanian-Russian relations as distinctive and said the joint committee was an important mechanism for increasing bilateral trade. He reaffirmed Russia’s readiness to expand cooperation and implement projects of mutual benefit in trade, industry, investment, energy, agriculture, food security, transport, logistics, tourism and information and communications technology (ICT).

 

Ahead of the ministerial plenary, the joint preparatory technical committee met under the co-chairmanship of Jordanian Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply Secretary- General Dana Zoubi and Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Vladimir Ilichev. Zoubi said bilateral trade remained below its potential, calling for targeted measures to remove trade barriers and facilitate commercial exchange.

 

On the sidelines of the meetings, the Jordanian delegation held talks with representatives of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) on expanding trade, ongoing free trade agreement negotiations, and the establishment of a joint committee on trade and investment. The two sides also agreed to strengthen data-sharing and regulatory coordination to improve market access for Jordanian goods in EAEU markets.

 

Qudah and Patrushev signed the protocol of the seventh session of the joint committee at the conclusion of the meetings.

 

Additional agreements included a protocol between the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation and the Jordan Customs Department on the exchange of customs valuation data, as well as a memorandum of understanding on healthcare cooperation. Both sides agreed to follow up on the outcomes of the meetings and work towards translating them into concrete trade and investment projects.