Planning minister meets with Japanese FM

AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Wissam  Rabadi and Japanese Foreign Minister Keisuke Suzuki on Monday discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

During the meeting, Rabadi stressed that Jordan attaches great importance to its bilateral and strategic relations with Japan, expressing his gratitude for Japan’s continuous support for the Kingdom, according to a Planning Ministry statement.

He also expressed appreciation for Japan's "understanding" of the economic and social challenges facing Jordan as a result of regional crises in the region, including the Syrian refugee crisis. 

Rabadi outlined the economic reforms implemented by the Kingdom within the framework of the five-year reform and growth plan, stressing the importance of working with Jordan's development partners to support the process of reform and development in the Kingdom. 

He reviewed the ongoing challenges of the Syrian refugee crisis in Jordan, stressing the importance of sustaining Japanese support to enable Jordan to continue its services to the host communities and Syrian refugees. 

For his part, Suzuki pointed to the Jordanian-Japanese partnership, based on the strong relations between the leaderships of the two countries, stressing Jordan's pivotal role in achieving peace and stability in the Middle East.

He affirmed Japan's keenness to continue providing Jordan with support to maintain its economic stability and security in these difficult circumstances.