Participants in the joint Jordanian-Tunisian business meeting and the Joint Business Council meeting called for the strengthening of the Agreement on the Free Trade Area of the Arab Middle East (Agadir).

The meeting was organized by the Jordan Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Tunisian Embassy in Amman, in the presence of Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Tariq Hammouri, Tunisian Ambassador to the Kingdom Khalid Al-Suhaili, President of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce Nael Kabariti and Arif Belkhiriya. Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Tariq Al-Hammouri said that the volume of trade exchange between Jordan and Tunisia is modest and does not reflect the deep historical potentials and relations between the two countries.

He pointed out the importance of benefiting from the advantages offered by the agreement of the Arab Free Trade Zone (Agadir), and working to strengthen partnerships between the private sector institutions in the two countries, and the establishment of joint projects in the industrial and development areas, in the field of food, solar and electronic industries.

He pointed out that the volume of trade exchange between the two countries did not exceed 27 million dollars last year, stressing the need to benefit from the bilateral and Arab free trade agreements, to develop export opportunities for the markets of both parties and the European Union.
Al-Hammouri called on the Tunisian business community to benefit from the geographical location of the Kingdom, to deliver Tunisian products to the markets of the Gulf States and Iraq, while urging Jordanian businessmen to benefit from the Tunisian experience to enter the markets of the European Union and Africa.

In exchange for visits, businessmen encouraged them to take a closer look at the economic and investment environment in both countries, including benefits and incentives offered by both sides, discover opportunities and encourage private sector development and investment environment, including new laws governing investment and public-private partnership And your.

The Tunisian Ambassador to the Kingdom Khalid Al-Suhaili stressed the importance of enhancing joint efforts towards economic prospects between the two parties to achieve mutual benefits and interests and to improve the level of partnership.

He said that the two countries' trade exchanges, despite their development in recent years, are without potential, which necessitates working on the incentives provided by the agreements to overcome some of the obstacles that prevent the development of economic and trade cooperation such as protectionist measures and the absence of a direct sea line between the two countries. The need for the private sector to play a greater role in promoting interests and mutual benefit, with a focus on the promising sectors, which provide opportunities for integration between the two economies.

He estimated that trade between Jordan and Tunisia could be doubled to reach 200 million dollars a year by calculating their export prices to the rest of the world.

He expressed the strong desire to consolidate the economic and trade relations between the two countries thanks to their business and investment environment, which has made Tunisia a gateway to the EU markets which attract 74% of the Tunisian products thanks to their quality and conformity with international standards. Jordan is also a gateway to the neighbouring markets. Reconstruction in Iraq.

Nael Kabariti, head of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, stressed that the economy of the Kingdom and Tunisia are similar and live the same challenges that require the search for real partnerships to enter other markets.

He pointed out that Jordan and Tunisia can benefit from each other, because Jordan is the only gateway to Tunisia to enter the markets of neighbouring countries and has distinguished relations in the region. Tunisia is bound by important agreements and relations with Europe and Africa, indicating the importance of partnership between the two countries based on equal opportunities. From competing and heading to other foreign markets.

He added that Agadir should act as the main gateway to other markets to reach the markets of European and African countries and seek new trade partners for Jordan and Tunisia.

For his part, a member of the executive office of the Tunisian Union for Industry, Trade and Handicrafts, and the head of the Tunisian side in the Jordanian-Jordanian Business Council Aref Belkhairia, said that his country looks forward to opening up the two countries' markets more and moving goods and services. Freely and without restrictions.

He stressed the existence of great potential for exchange and integration between the two countries in various sectors, such as trade, food industries, services, communication technology, automotive and pharmaceutical industries.

He stressed the ability to exploit and develop these possibilities for the benefit of the two parties, stressing that his country looks forward to opening the markets of the two countries more on each other, and that the movement of goods and services followed freely and without restrictions.

Belkhiriya pointed out that the Joint Business Council, established in 1996, will begin to develop an executive program for the years 2019 and 2020, which includes meetings between chambers of commerce and industry and private sector institutions on both sides.

During the meeting, the Investment Authority presented the main advantages, incentives and facilities offered by the investment law to businessmen and investors, as well as the investment opportunities available in the Kingdom, and bilateral meetings were held between the Jordanian businessmen and their counterparts from the Tunisian side.

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