New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jordan has paved the way for deepening bilateral ties between India and the West Asian country with the signing of five MoUs in the areas of renewable energy, water resource management, cultural exchange, digital solution and twinning between Petra and Ellora, according to an official statement issued on Tuesday.

PM Modi held extensive discussions with King Abdullah II of Jordan on ways to further deepen bilateral engagement in the fields of trade and investment; defense and security; renewable energy; fertilizer and agriculture; innovation, IT and digital technologies; critical minerals; infrastructure; health and pharma; education and capacity; tourism and heritage; and culture and people-to-people ties, the statement said.

Prime Minister proposed that the two countries should aim to enhance bilateral trade to $5 billion over the next 5 years. He also called for collaboration between Jordan’s digital payment system and India’s United Payments Interface (UPI). Jordan is an important supplier of fertiliser to India, and companies on both sides are in discussions for further substantive investment in Jordan to meet growing demand for phosphatic fertilizer in India.

PM Modi’s first full-fledged visit to Jordan marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

India is Jordan’s third largest trading partner. Jordan is also a leading supplier of phosphates and potash fertilizers for India.

Around 17,500 Indian nationals currently live in Jordan, mostly working in textiles, construction, manufacturing and healthcare.

While India exports cereals, frozen meat, petroleum products, animal fodder etc. to Jordan, fertilisers, especially phosphates and potash are imported. The commissioning of long-term joint ventures and the operation of Indian-owned manufacturing units in Jordan reflect deep commercial integration.

A joint venture, Jordan India Fertiliser Company (JIFCO), between Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) and Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC), was commissioned to produce and export phosphoric acid to India. This venture, originally valued at $860 million, is a major source of phosphoric acid for India.

Over 15 garment-manufacturing companies owned by Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) also operate in Jordan’s Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZs), with a cumulative investment of about $500 million. These companies manufacture garments in Jordan and export the finished products outside Jordan under the Jordan-USA FTA framework.

Besides, the Indian-Jordan Center of Excellence in Information Technology, a next-generation IT facility at Al-Hussein Technical University (HTU), reflects the growing technology ties between the two countries. The Center, fully funded by India, is equipped with state-of-the-art IT infrastructure, including the Super Computer PARAM Shavak and advanced training facilities. The Government of India conducts master trainer courses for Jordanian experts in emerging fields such as Cyber Security, Web Development, Machine Learning and Big Data Analytics.

–IANS

sps/na