His Majesty King Abdullah arrived Wednesday in Kazakhstan where he is expected to hold talks with President Nursultan Nazarbayev and senior officials.
The two sides will review bilateral relations and the latest regional and international developments.
In his talks with Nazarbayev and Prime Minister Karim Massimov, the King and the officials will examine means to strengthen economic and trade relations between the two countries.
They will also look into means to open the way for members of the Jordanian and Kazakh private sectors to launch joint investments.
Following meetings of the Joint Jordanian-Kazakhstani Economic and Commercial Committee, held in Astana over the past few days ahead of the King's visit to the Central Asian country, Jordan and Kazakhstan signed several agreements aimed to boost trade exchange and set up joint investment projects.
During a banquet held in honour of King Abdullah, Nazarbayev stressed his country's keenness to bolster ties with Jordan on official, economic and cultural levels.
In an interview with Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper on Wednesday, King Abdullah said: “There is great potential for the growth of trade and economic cooperation between us, especially that the two countries are witnessing remarkable growth.”
The King stressed that Jordan was looking forward to the signing of a free trade agreement with Kazakhstan, which, he said, would give a strong push for growth in Jordanian-Kazakh relations on all levels.
The King also called for investing the cumulative expertise available in the two countries to realize development and stand up to face common challenges.
He also commended Kazakhstan's contributions to peace and security in Central Asia through the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, saying, “Jordan hopes to become a member in this important institution.”
Commending efforts exerted by the Kazakhstan president in promoting interfaith dialogue as well as cultural dialogue, King Abdullah said: “We appreciate the president's support for the initiatives launched by Jordan, such as the Amman Message” which works to promote the true values of Islam and counters the false ideas about Muslims and Islam in the West.
The Amman Message advocates a proper understanding of the faith which honours all human beings and provides common ground among different faiths and peoples.
Jordan and Kazakhstan are bound by different economic and cultural agreements.
Although the commercial exchange volume currently stands at $4 million, it is hoped that the King's visit to the Central Asian country will increase trade between the countries.
Prince Ali, Director of the King's Office Bassem Awadallah and several ministers are accompanying the King during the two-day visit.
The Jordan Times