JICA to ‘push for Japanese energy, innovation investments in Jordan’

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah met on Monday with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) President Shinichi Kitaoka, who stressed that JICA will encourage small- and medium-sized Japanese companies working in energy and innovation to invest in Jordan.

In a press interview after the meeting, Kitaoka said JICA will encourage these companies to launch projects in Jordan, noting a number of promising sectors, including tourism and supporting local small- and medium-sized enterprises, a Royal Court statement said.

King Abdullah’s meeting with the JICA president is part of a series of meetings with senior officials in Japan to discuss opportunities to bolster Jordanian-Japanese cooperation in various sectors to support Jordan’s economy, develop public services and infrastructure and provide job opportunities for Jordanians.

His Majesty expressed appreciation for the financial and technical support provided by JICA to a number of economic and development plans in Jordan, as well as in supporting vocational and agricultural training and other programmes to build Jordanians’ capacities.

The King also stressed the importance of the development policy loan that the Japanese government is set to provide to Jordan, the statement added.

The meeting covered the upcoming investment conference London is slated to host early next year to support Jordan’s economy. His Majesty said he looks forward to the participation of Japanese companies and organisations in the conference.

Kitaoka noted the strong ties between Jordan and Japan, stressing that they are based on trust and a long history of mutual cooperation.

Japan was among the first countries to commit to supporting Jordan in implementing its development plans and programmes, he added, noting substantial progress in cooperation in innovative fields.

JICA, an independent government organisation that coordinates development support by Japan to improve socioeconomic conditions in developing countries, is also interested in supporting efforts to revamp infrastructure in the city of Petra to attract more tourists, Kitaoka said, highlighting the agency’s work with refugees by equipping them with vocational skills.

Adviser to His Majesty and Director of the Office of His Majesty Manar Dabbas, Planning Minister Mary Kawar, Jordan’s Chargé d’Affaires in Tokyo Raghad Al Saqqa, and Japan’s Ambassador to Jordan Hidenao Yanagi attended the meeting.