President of the Republic of Bulgaria Rumen Radev, who is currently visiting the Kingdom, said that Jordan enjoys security, stability, strategic location and the right environment for investment. 

He said during his attendance at the Amman-Amman Chamber of Commerce on Monday that the bilateral economic relations will have a great future due to the interest of business owners and investors in the country's business environment in the Kingdom. 

The Forum, organized by the two chambers of commerce and industry of Amman and the Jordanian-European Business Association (JEPA), in the presence of the accompanying Bulgarian economic delegation, is an opportunity to establish business between the two sides in light of the availability of conditions based on trust and mutual respect. 

He stressed that the graduation of hundreds of Jordanian students from Bulgarian universities is a positive sign of the depth and distinction of the relations between the two countries. 

He added that his country found in Jordan "a wonderful opportunity" not only to establish joint ventures, but also to the importance of the Kingdom as a gateway and a commercial distributor for various countries in the Middle East region, stressing the need to exploit the strategic location of both countries in economic and business fields. 

The Bulgarian president called on the private sector of the two countries to seek broader and new horizons for joint cooperation and investment projects and the entry of export markets together. 

"I encourage the parties not only to trade and to do business, but to exchange ideas and experience and develop business," he said, adding that Bulgaria's trade exchanges began with Jordan through food products and fresh meat. But his country today expanded economically and now has advanced industries in many fields. 

The head of Amman Chamber of Commerce, Al Ain Issa Haidar Murad, said bilateral trade between the two countries has grown rapidly in the last few years. Bulgaria currently ranks 65th among Jordan's biggest trading partners. He said that the Kingdom has become a regional leader in political, economic and social development, despite the modest resources and potentials and has become a success story and enjoys political stability, economic development and advanced society. 

He added that Jordan enjoys an economic advantage thanks to its strategic position in the Middle East and the region as a crossroads between the three continents of Europe, Asia and Africa. 

Al-Ain Murad pointed out that Jordan became a member of the World Trade Organization in 2000 and signed free trade agreements with the largest economic countries such as the United States, Canada, the European Union and the countries of the Middle East and North Africa. 

The president said that the Kingdom is participating in many bilateral economic agreements with more than 70 other countries around the world, giving Jordan a unique opportunity to reach a market with a population of more than one billion consumers, making it one of the most liberal economies in the Middle East and North Africa. 

Jordan has a wide range of dynamic and competitive sectors, ranging from industrial sectors and agriculture to world-class services, as well as a host of business-friendly laws, special economic zones and a workforce that has made the Kingdom a vital and well-known international trade and investment center, he said. 

He added that the trade balance between the two countries does not exceed ambitions, which requires more efforts to strengthen it, especially as Jordan has many products, goods and services that meet some of the needs of the Bulgarian market such as pharmaceuticals, phosphates, fertilizers, potash, Dead Sea salts and others. 

The head of the Amman Chamber of Industry, Eng. Fathi Al-Jaghbir, said that the potential of strengthening economic relations between the two countries is great and their strategic location could be vital trade centers for Europe and the Middle East. 

He stressed the need to strengthen trade and economic relations between Jordan and Bulgaria and establish joint investment projects and seize opportunities to increase the volume of trade exchange between the two friendly countries to keep pace with the level of political relations that bring them together. 

The most promising investment opportunities in Jordan are participation in the reconstruction and reconstruction projects which will soon begin in Syria and Iraq. These will require considerable efforts and accumulated experience. Jordan is expected to play a central role as a logistics center for these projects. 

Al-Jaghbair called for regular flights between Amman and Sofia to facilitate the movement of passengers and goods, enhance cooperation and encourage visits by delegations between the business community on both sides. 

The head of the Jordanian-European Business Association (JEPA), Jamal Freiz, stressed the need to strengthen economic relations, increase trade exchange and establish joint projects between the two countries, pointing out that the relations between Jordan and Bulgaria are based on mutual understanding, appreciation and support. 

He said that JIPA has an active role in strengthening Jordan's economic relations with European countries and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bulgarian Agency for the Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises to develop trade and investment cooperation between SMEs in both countries. 

The Jordanian-Bulgarian Business Forum is an opportunity to hold meetings between business owners from both sides and seek to develop the trade balance between the two countries to a wider perspective, he said. 

The Secretary General of the Investment Authority Faridoun Harthouka said that Jordan has investment opportunities in many sectors, the most important of which is industry, energy, water, information technology, tourism, especially medical care, as well as infrastructure. 

He stressed that the Kingdom is an important gateway and starting point for reconstruction projects in Syria and Iraq, calling on Bulgarian companies to benefit from the geographical location of Jordan to participate in these projects. 

He also highlighted the advantages enjoyed by the Kingdom, especially in the field of manpower and investment incentives, in addition to the network of trade agreements signed with many countries in the world, which enables the Jordanian producer to enter markets containing more than one billion consumers without complications. 

During the forum, a presentation was made on the investment opportunities and incentives in Bulgaria, especially in the industrial cities and the free and benefits offered to employers and investors. 

On the sidelines of the forum, two memorandums of understanding were signed between the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Amman with the Bulgarian Haskovo Chamber of Commerce and Industry and another between the Jordanian-European Business Association (JEPA) and the Haskovo Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 

The kingdom's exports to Bulgaria last year amounted to nearly 3 million, the majority of which were ordinary metal products and chemical industries, while imports amounted to 17 million dinars of products of plants, food, stone products, chemical industries, live animals, fats, machines and appliances. 

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