Amman, January 31 (Petra) -Indian Ambassador to Jordan, Manish Chauhan, said Jordan and India and have a "long-standing" relationship that is characterized by mutual trust, warmth and goodwill.
Chauhan added that the multi-faceted relations span across various areas of cooperation including political, economic, defence, security, culture and education among others.
In an interview with "Petra" on Saturday on the occasion of his country's National Day, the ambassador referred to a regular political dialogue between the two countries that covers all areas of mutual interest.
Within the established framework, he said the Fourth Round of Political Consultations between the two foreign ministries was held in Amman on 29 April 2025, while the fifth round will be held in New Delhi.
During his recent visit at the invitation of His Majesty King Abdullah II, Chauhan noted Narendra Modi, Indian Prime Minister said Jordan and India share a "vibrant" contemporary partnership built on the edifice of their close civilizational ties. Prime Minister Modi appreciated the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II, under whom Jordan has become a bridge that connects markets and regions, and is fostering business and growth.
During his recent visit to the Kingdom, Chauhan added that the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, affirmed Jordan and India share a "strong" partnership based on deep-rooted cultural ties.
"PM Modi also commended the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II, which has contributed to solidifying Jordan's position as a bridge connecting markets and regions, and enhancing business opportunities and economic growth," he pointed out.
Additionally, he noted the two countries are also advancing their cooperation in areas such as trade, fertilizers, digital technology, infrastructure and people to people relations. India is Jordan’s third largest trading partner and the two-way trade stands at approximately $2.8 Bn.
On its importance, he said the "historic" visit of the Indian Prime Minister to the Kingdom marked a "significant" milestone in bilateral relations, particularly as it coincided with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
He added that this visit contributed to strengthening these relations and gave them both symbolic and practical momentum.
He remarked the "in-depth" discussions between His Majesty King Abdullah II and Prime Minister Narendra Modi reflected a personal commitment from both leaderships to enhancing the bilateral partnership, especially in the areas of renewable energy, water management, digital transformation, cultural exchange, and heritage cooperation.
He also referred to His Majesty King Abdullah II's remarks during the Jordanian-Indian Business Forum held in Amman on December 16, 2015, where His Majesty commended India's economic growth under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.
On other cooperation areas, he indicated that Prime Minister said both countries could join hands to become trusted supply chain partners for the world. He stated that "Geography is Jordan’s strength while India possesses both skill and scale. When these strengths are merged, they should create new opportunities for the youth of the two countries and wider region". He called on the business leaders of the two sides to invest together, innovate together and grow together.
During the visit, the diplomat said the two sides finalized MoUs in the fields of culture, renewable energy, water management, digital public infrastructure and twinning arrangement between Petra and Ellora.
On future collaboration, he said Prime Minister Modi laid down an eight-point vision to strengthen the bilateral relations which included doubling the bilateral trade to $5bn in next five years.
This effort aims to encourage long term arrangements with augmentation of investment in fertilizers, link Jordan’s digital payment system with UPI and RuPay Card for promoting business and tourism, shared interests and expertise in healthcare, proposed cooperation in infrastructure and construction including public transport and railway expansion, to complement natural resources of Jordan in critical and strategic minerals with Indian industrial expertise, civil nuclear cooperation with capacity building in nuclear sector and strengthening people-to-people ties by promoting tourism and cultural linkages, he said.
The ambassador said Embassy of India in Amman is committed to taking this vision forward in close cooperation with our Jordanian partners.
Nting potential for growth in all areas of mutual interests, he said the recent visit of Prime Minister Modi and his elaborate discussions with His Majesty King Abdullah II and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hussein have opened new avenues for bilateral cooperation, adding that opportunities are vailable for India – Jordan business collaboration in the fields of Digital Public Infrastructure, IT, Fintech, Health-tech and Agri-tech.
Addressing the Business Forum during the visit, he said Prime Minister Modi made particular mention of such sectors as pharma and medical devices, agriculture, cold chain, food parks, fertilizers, infrastructure, automobile, green mobility and heritage and cultural tourism.
Speaking about India’s green initiatives, he noted Prime Minister suggested greater India-Jordan business collaboration in the fields of renewable energy, green financing, desalination and water recycling.
On the regional developments, he stated India’s policy towards Palestine has been long standing, as we were one of the first Non-Arab State to recognize Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people in the early 1970s. In 1988, India became one of the first countries to recognize the Palestinian State and in 1996, India opened its Representative Office in Gaza, which was later shifted to Ramallah.
//Petra// AG
