India’s fertiliser minister visits Shidiyah mines

AMMAN — Indian Minister of Health and Familiy Welfare and Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday checked on the work progress in Shidiyah mines, Indo-Jordan Chemicals Company, Jordan India Fertiliser Company (JIFCO) and investment opportunities in the field of phosphate fertilisers. 

During a visit to Shidiyah mines, Investment Minister Khairi Amr said that Jordanian-Indian relations are "solid and deep-rooted" in various fields, mainly at the economic level, where India is an important commercial partner to the Kingdom, ranking as the third economic partner after the US and China.

Amr said that phosphate is the top national exports to the Indian market, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Mandaviya's visit was upon an invitation from the investment minister and Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC) Chairman Mohammed Thneibat to discuss means to further develop economic and commercial ties between the two countries and to consider opportunities to increase Jordan's exports of phosphate and phosphate fertilisers to India.

Thneibat expressed JPMC's keenness to diversify its joint investments and start transformative industries in Jordan, voicing readiness to increase cooperation with India in this field. 

Mandaviya commended the partnership and cooperation between the two countries, describing his visit to the Shidiyah mines as "fruitful" and “lays the foundation for more cooperation”, expecting the next phase to witness further cooperation between Jordan and India in various fields, mainly in the production of phosphate fertilisers. 

The Indian minister's visit to the Kingdom is scheduled to witness the signing of several agreements and memoranda of understanding between the JPMC and several Indian companies.