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Jordan: economy minister meets Israeli counterpart for first time in decade

November 4, 2021 at 10:41 am

Israeli Minister of Economy Orna Barbivai arrives to attend the first weekly cabinet meeting of the new government in Jerusalem, on 20 June 2021 [EMMANUEL DUNAND/POOL/AFP via Getty Images]

Jordan’s economy minister met his Israeli counterpart on Wednesday, in the first such meeting for a decade. Yousef Alshamali discussed bilateral ties with Orna Barbivai during their meeting in Amman.

According to the Economy Ministry in Israel, Barbivai signed an agreement with Alshamali to boost the import of goods by the Palestinian Authority coming in through Jordan.

The aim was to enhance civilian ties between Israel and Jordan, strengthen neighbourly relations and promote cooperation between the two countries, reported local media. Barbivai pointed out that the new trade deals are “key” to strengthening Israel’s relations with Jordan as well as “national security, and the protection of Israel’s longest and most quiet border.”

Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994 and have had close security ties ever since. However, when Benjamin Netanyahu was prime minister of Israel, the relationship was strained. His successor Naftali Bennet, however, has prioritised repairing the relationship with Amman.

In September, Israeli President Isaac Herzog met King Abdullah II in the Jordanian capital, less than two months after Bennett’s secret meeting with the Hashemite monarch.

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