Amman, Nov. 23 (Petra) –Chairman of Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC), Khalil Haj Tawfiq, met on Sunday with the President of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Benin (CCIB), Arnauld Akakpo, to discuss ways to enhance bilateral economic and trade cooperation and open new horizons for the business sectors in Jordan and Benin.
According to an ACC statement, the meeting, which was also attended by the ACC's First Vice Chairman, Nabil Khatib, and Board Member Khattab Banna, reviewed opportunities to increase trade exchange and establish direct partnerships between Jordanian and Beninese companies. The two sides also discussed the possibility of signing a mutual memorandum of understanding to facilitate exchange of trade delegations and organization of joint events and exhibitions.
Talking at the meeting held in Amman, Haj Tawfiq said the the ACC welcomes strengthening cooperation with its counterpart in Benin to serve interests of the two countries' private sector. Haj Tawfiq noted Jordan serves as a "gateway" to Arab markets, while Benin is a "key entry point" to West African countries.
Haj Tawfiq added that the meeting presents an opportunity to open "new" markets for Jordanian products, particularly in the energy, pharmaceutical, food, chemical, building materials, services and logistics sectors.
This step comes in exchange for exporting Benin's most important agricultural and food products, mainly cashew nuts and fresh agricultural produce, which would help balance the trade balance and strengthen partnerships between the two nations' private sectors.
For his part, Akakpo expressed his appreciation for the cooperation with ACC, adding that Jordan is an "important" partner for Benin in the region, given its stability and favorable economic environment.
Akakpo stated his country looks forward to building a "long-term" partnership with Jordan in the energy, trade, and logistics fields, announcing arrangements are being made for an economic delegation from the Republic of Benin to visit Jordan in the near future, aimed to enhance communication opportunities between the two sides' businesspeople in specific sectors.
Khatib, in turn, affirmed cooperation with the Beninese side opens up "crucial" avenues for capitalizing on agricultural and food opportunities in Benin, as well as leveraging Jordan's "strategic" location in services, logistics, and regional trade.
Khatib said the chamber is "ready" to work with its counterpart in Benin to launch joint training programs and facilitate trade exchange, especially in sectors where Jordan possesses a "competitive" advantage.
On future action, the two sides agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to regulate their cooperation and activate channels of continuous communication between the two countries' business sectors and hold sectoral meetings remotely, especially on the agriculture and cotton fields, in preparation for arranging a visit by an economic delegation from Benin to Jordan in the coming period.
//Petra// AG
