PM Modi meets Jordanian King Abdullah II, discuss several issues to boost bilateral ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met King Abdullah II of Jordan here and the two leaders discussed a range of issues to strengthen the bilateral ties by enhancing cooperation in several areas, including trade and investment and counter-terrorism.

The two leaders met in the Saudi capital on the sidelines of the high-profile 'Future Investment Initiative', a key financial forum dubbed as 'Davos in the Desert'.

"Excellent meeting with His Majesty @KingAbdullahII in Riyadh. We discussed the full range of relations between India and Jordan," Modi said in a tweet.

"Both leaders exchanged views on working closely together to strengthen our ties across sectors, specially in trade & investment, human resource development & people-to-people ties," Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

The two leaders exchanged views on strengthening bilateral relations, including MoUs and Agreements signed during the King's visit to India in February-March last year.

They also discussed the Middle East Peace Process and other regional developments, besides Both improving cooperation in counter-terrorism, an official said.

Historical links, cultural affinities and people-to-people contacts between India and Jordan have existed since time immemorial.

"The Prime Minister's visit to Jordan and King's visit to India in 2018 have imparted a new momentum in our bilateral relations that are marked by mutual respect and understanding on various bilateral, regional and multilateral issues," the statement said.

The two leaders met last month on the sidelines of the United Nation General Assembly session in New York.

Both Prime Minister Modi and the Jordanian King will speak at the financial forum, which will also host financiers, governments, and industry leaders who would discuss global trade and explore the trends, opportunities and challenges shaping the global investment landscape over the coming decades.

Jordan is home to more than 10,000 Indians, who are employed in different sectors such as textile, construction and manufacturing, fertilizer companies, health sector, universities, IT, financial companies and multilateral organisation.

India has long-standing ties with Jordan and the Modi government has shown a marked preference for strengthening the relationship with the country.

Modi had met King Abdullah for the first time on the sidelines of the UNGA in September 2015. This was followed by a visit by the then president Pranab Mukherjee to Jordan in October 2015, the first by an Indian head of state to the Middle East nation.

India has been donating money for humanitarian assistance to the country.