His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday attended part of the Jordanian-Indian Business Forum in New Delhi.

Participants at the forum, who include over 300 businesspeople, investors, and company representatives from the two countries, are discussing opportunities to bolster Jordanian-Indian cooperation in investment, commerce, industry, education, healthcare, agriculture, mining, ICT, tourism, and energy.

The forum is organised by the Jordan Chamber of Commerce and the Jordan Investment Commission in cooperation with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

King Abdullah delivered remarks at the event, stressing Jordan’s keenness on expanding economic, investment and commercial cooperation with India.

“I am truly delighted to be back here in India. I was shocked when one of my colleagues told me that it’s been twelve years since my last visit, and I honestly felt it was only several years, but now I think this empowers us to hopefully make this more of an annual event, because I see the synergies between our two nations being so important as well as the opportunities that both countries offer to each other,” His Majesty said.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Federation of India’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, and—obviously—the government of India for making this trip so successful,” the King added.

“I just wanted to say how important it is for our nations to take this opportunity to move our relationship forward. And this forum this morning, I hope, was an example where good ideas could have been exchanged and new avenues opened,” His Majesty said.

“We have many challenges ahead of us, and… it is more important that people of different cultures and different backgrounds energise each other and come closer together, and I believe that our two-day visit here in India will be the new start of a relationship between our two countries,” the King noted.

“I look forward to a new strong chapter of relationships between our two nations,” His Majesty continued.

“Let’s get things done, and, please, do not be bashful with our ministers here. Tell them exactly what you think and what you need, and we will follow up to make sure that happens,” the King told the participants.

Also speaking at the forum, Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu stressed the importance of cooperation and visit exchange between the two countries, highlighting the role of governments in facilitating the work of companies and investors in advancing Jordanian-Indian economic ties.

Vikramjit Sahney, of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, highlighted opportunities to expand trade exchange between the two countries, noting that Indian companies are interested in investing in Jordan’s renewable energy, chemical industries, healthcare, and banking sectors.

S. Swaminathan, of the Confederation of Indian Industry, noted His Majesty’s visit to India in 2006 and his participation in the Jordanian-Indian Business Forum at the time. Trade exchange between the two countries has tripled from $570 million in 2006 to $1.89 million in 2014, he added.

Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India President Sandeep Jajodia urged Indian companies to benefit from Jordan’s strategic position and its free trade agreements, expecting the number of Indian tourists to Jordan to rise after the government’s recent measures to ease visa procedures.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, Adviser to His Majesty and Director of the Office of His Majesty Manar Dabbas, Minister of ICT and Minister of Public Sector Development Majd Shweikeh, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Qudah, Minister of State for Investment Affairs Muhannad Shehadeh, Jordan’s Ambassador to India Hassan Al Jawarneh, and India’s Ambassador to Jordan Shubhdarshini Tripathi attended the forum.

On the sidelines of the event, the King met with a number of Indian business leaders and CEOs of major companies to discuss investment opportunities in Jordan.

His Majesty highlighted the vast potential to expand and diversify economic, commercial, and investment ties between Jordan and India, noting that India is Jordan’s third largest economic partner.

The King also touched on measures currently underway to improve the business environment and attract investments, noting opportunities in the energy, mining, tourism, agriculture, ICT, and film sectors.

The Indian business leaders expressed their keenness to benefit from Jordan’s strategic position as a gateway into international markets, stressing their readiness to build partnerships with the private sector in areas such as alternative energy, mining, pharmaceuticals, tourism, and fertilisers.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, Adviser to His Majesty and Director of the Office of His Majesty Manar Dabbas, Minister of ICT and Minister of Public Sector Development Majd Shweikeh, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Qudah, Minister of State for Investment Affairs Muhannad Shehadeh, and Jordan’s Ambassador to India Hassan Al Jawarneh attended the meeting.