His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday met visiting Canadian Minister of International Trade Stockwell Day, who earlier signed a free trade agreement between Jordan and Canada in addition to investment, labour and environment cooperation deals.

King Abdullah told the minister that the agreements, particularly the FTA, would broaden the scope for commercial exchange between the two countries and expand economic cooperation.

The King also expressed appreciation for Canada's support for Jordan's development programmes, especially in the education sector. He expressed hope that the cooperation would extend into the fields of alternative energy and water.

The FTA, the first between Canada and an Arab country, aims at cementing economic ties and developing partnerships between the two countries as well finding new export opportunities for Jordanian products in foreign markets.

The FTA is the fruit of the King's efforts and his visit to Canada in July 2007, when the two countries announced the beginning of negotiations in this regard.

Three other agreements were signed Sunday that would also lay the foundation for ties in investment, labour and environment fields between Jordan and Canada.