Jordan and the Russian Federation have agreed on practical steps to strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation, increase bilateral trade and expand collaboration in several priority sectors, at the conclusion of the seventh session of the Jordanian-Russian Intergovernmental Joint Commission for Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technological Cooperation.
The commission’s meetings were held in Moscow from September 8 to 11, chaired by Jordanian Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Al-Qudah and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev. The meetings were attended by ministers, government officials and representatives of relevant institutions from both countries, including Minister of Agriculture Saeb Khreisat and Minister of Tourism Imad Hijazin, as well as Jordanian Ambassador to Russia Khaled Al-Shawabkeh and Russian Ambassador to Jordan Gleb Desyatnikov.
In his opening remarks, Al-Qudah stressed the importance of strengthening economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries, diversifying the range of exchanged goods and services, increasing the participation of Jordanian companies in exhibitions and economic events held in Russia, and encouraging the private sector to capitalize on promising investment opportunities.
He highlighted opportunities for cooperation in pharmaceuticals, transport infrastructure development and joint manufacturing, which would enable Russia to benefit from Jordan’s network of free trade agreements with various countries and economic blocs.
Al-Qudah also pointed to promising reconstruction opportunities in Syria and Iraq and the possibility of positioning Jordan as a base and logistics hub for Russian companies seeking to participate in reconstruction projects, as well as establishing partnerships between Jordanian and Russian companies in trade and services.
He noted that Jordan was nearing the signing of preferential trade agreements with Rwanda and Uzbekistan, which would help open new markets for Jordanian goods and products in Africa and Central Asia.
Al-Qudah underscored the importance of holding regular meetings of the joint commission, strengthening coordination and following up on the implementation of agreements reached. The two sides agreed to hold the eighth session of the commission in Amman in 2027.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev, for his part, stressed the importance of the commission’s meetings in exploring mechanisms to strengthen economic cooperation and increase bilateral trade. He highlighted the distinctive nature of Jordanian-Russian relations and described the commission as an important foundation for developing cooperation across various fields.
He affirmed Russia’s readiness to strengthen strategic cooperation and implement mutually beneficial joint projects, while expanding cooperation with Jordan in trade, industry, investment, energy, agriculture, food security, transport, logistics, tourism, information and communications technology, and other areas of mutual interest.
The joint preparatory technical committee also held meetings chaired by Dana Al-Zoubi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply, on the Jordanian side, and Vladimir Al-Petshul, Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development, on the Russian side. The committee discussed strengthening economic, trade and investment cooperation, increasing bilateral trade, encouraging investment and developing sector-specific cooperation.
Al-Zoubi said bilateral trade remained below the level of the two countries’ ambitions and available potential, underscoring the need to establish practical mechanisms to increase trade and remove obstacles hindering the development of trade and investment relations.
On the sidelines of the meetings, the Jordanian delegation met with representatives of the Eurasian Economic Union to discuss ways to strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation between Jordan and the union’s member states. They also discussed the latest developments in negotiations over a free trade agreement between the two sides and efforts to establish a committee dedicated to trade and investment.
Both sides stressed the importance of continued coordination and information exchange to facilitate greater access for Jordanian products to the union’s markets, increase bilateral trade and create a more favorable environment for economic and investment cooperation.
At the conclusion of the session, the two sides signed the minutes of the seventh meeting of the Jordanian-Russian Joint Commission, along with a protocol on cooperation between the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation and the Jordanian Customs Department concerning the exchange of information on the customs value of goods, as well as a memorandum of understanding on health cooperation.
Both sides emphasized the importance of following up on the commission’s outcomes through the relevant authorities in both countries and translating them into practical steps, projects and tangible cooperation programs to further strengthen Jordanian-Russian economic, trade and investment relations.
