Amman - Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Jordan's King Abdullah II on Tuesday discussed the prospects of resuming peace negotiations between Israel and its Arab neighbours, a royal
court statement said. Gul began a three-day state visit Tuesday to
Jordan on Tuesday that saw the signing of several cooperation agreements, including one for the creation of a free trade zone.
"The agreement, which goes into effect in 2011, provides for the total removal of custom duties between the two countries in 12 years," Jordanian Minister of Trade and Industry Amer Hadidi said.
Since Jordan and
Turkey are both party to the Euro-Med agreement, a free trade accord would enable Jordan to use Turkish raw materials in the
manufacturing of products to be exported to European Union countries, he added.
Hadidi's Turkish counterpart, Nihat Ergun, meanwhile said the agreements would open the door for joint business ventures.
Official figures show the balance of trade between the two countries overwhelmingly in favour of Turkey in 2008, with Jordan importing 144 million dollars worth of goods and exporting 10 million dollars dollars worth of commodities. Turkish investments in Jordan are estimated at about 90 million dollars.
