Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Evripides Stylianidis on Tuesday called for the societies and markets of Greece and Jordan to join forces in order to maximize their mutual benefit, during an address to the Greece-Jordan 4th Mixed Ministerial Committee and Jordanian business people.

Stylianidis arrived in Amman at the head of a delegation comprised of the representatives of 40 Greek businesses, Greek trade bodies and non-governmental organizations, in a bid to boost bilateral trade relations with Jordan.
The last mixed ministerial was held 20 years earlier in 1986.

The 4th Mixed Ministerial is scheduled to end on Wednesday with the signature of a cooperation agreement in research and technology, as well as the signing of six memorandums between various Greek trade and industry groups and their Jordanian counterparts.

The ministerial meeting is also complemented by a business conference, where Greek and Jordanian business interests will have the opportunity to make contact and air potential cooperation plans or strike initial agreements.

The Greek mission hopes to increase exports, arrange joint ventures and attract investment.

Stylianidis expressed a desire for a swift end to negotiations for an agreement on avoiding double taxation, to complement the agreements signed in December during a visit by Jordan's King Abdallah II on protecting investments and cooperation in tourism.

During his address, the deputy minister emphasized energy management issues and Greece's emergence as an energy hub for southeastern Europe, which he said offered opportunities to investors, while noting the development of alternative energy sources and the expertise that Greece can offer Jordan in this area.

Other possible areas for cooperation listed by the minister included construction, where Greece could provide both know-how and high-quality building materials, high-quality Greek agricultural goods, water management know-how and resources, ship-building and shipping.

In talks with Jordanian Planning and International Cooperation Minister Suhair Al Ali, Stylianidis said that Jordan was one of the priority countries for Greece under its new developmental aid program HellenicAid, which contained fewer target countries but allowed for more projects in each and provided a longer space of time for their completion.

Source: Athens News Agency

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