His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday continued his meetings with key Japanese economic leaders, including Mitsubishi Corporation high-ranking executives.
 
King Abdullah first met with the economists — who included businessmen and representatives of major Japanese companies and banks that work at the international level.
 
At the meeting, His Majesty expressed the Kingdom’s keenness to enhancing cooperation with Japan in the fields of economy, commerce, investment, industry, alternative energy, fertilisers, railway networks, infrastructure and water.
 
The King commended the existing level of cooperation between the two countries, noting that the value of Japanese investments in the Kingdom’s vital sectors stands at JD100 million.
 
His Majesty also reiterated the importance of increasing Jordan’s strategic partnership with Japan in a way that benefits both sides, especially since the Jordanian economy provides competitive investment opportunities, compared to other countries in the region.
 
The King also stressed the importance of cooperation between business communities in both countries to build on political relations, citing Jordan’s interest in attracting investments in vital projects and its intention to remove any obstacles that might face businessmen willing to invest in these sectors, including changes to relevant legislation.
 
His Majesty also reviewed the characteristics of Jordan as a gateway into the rest of the Middle East and a hub connecting three continents, in addition to the country’s high levels of security and stability and its wide base of qualified workers.
 
The King also made reference to regional and international free trade agreements Jordan has signed, which, he said, have rendered the Kingdom an investment incubator and a base to reach the most important consumer markets in the world.
 
His Majesty also referred to challenges the Middle East faces and their impact on Jordan, especially from an economic perspective due to the ballooning energy bill and the repercussions of the Syrian refugee crisis.
 
In this regard, the King reaffirmed that Jordan enjoys security and stability and will not allow surrounding regional circumstances to affect the modernisation and development march it is implementing.
 
His Majesty reviewed the role of Jordanian youths in supporting the development march, referring to the reforms the Kingdom has achieved, especially in the economic and legislative fields.
 
At the meeting, the King spoke about challenges facing the Kingdom, most important of which is the economic one, referring to the 10-year economic plan that would enable Jordan to deal with these challenges.
 
His Majesty also referred to the good reputation of the Kingdom in the ICT sector at the regional level, in addition to that of Jordanian banks, which they have gained by implementing best international practices.
 
The King reviewed the characteristics of the pharmaceutical sector, which exports products to more than 30 countries.
 
His Majesty also briefed the Japanese economists on the new projects in Aqaba Port, and solar energy projects and power plants, citing an electricity generation facility he inaugurated last month, built as a joint venture between public and private sectors.
 
At the meeting with Mitsubishi Corporation representatives, the King was briefed on the latest technologies and models the company applies in electric cars.
 
His Majesty listened to a briefing by the company’s officials, about the new technology used, especially in the building and maintenance of electric cars, and they expressed their intention to cooperate with the Kingdom in this field.