Jordan’s King Abdullah receives President Pranab Mukherjee at the Royal Palace in Amman yesterday.
IANSAmmanPresident Pranab Mukherjee arrived here yesterday in what he termed a landmark visit to push ties with Jordan. It is the first visit by an Indian head of state to the kingdom.The president was accorded a ceremonial welcome, a guard of honour and a 21-gun salute in the forecourt of the presidential office.He then held talks with King Abdullah II and then jointly inaugurated a $860mn Indo-Jordanian fertiliser plant for making raw materials, notably for sulphuric acid- and phosphoric acid-based nutrients.Ahead of his arrival, the president said he looked forward to the “historic visit”.“Both our countries share similar views on regional and international issues and both of us support the peace process in the Middle East, including Syria.”He said the two countries abhor extremism and terrorism in all forms, and believed in religious harmony.The focus on trade and investment was also evident. The president said both countries will work towards increasing bilateral trade to $5bn per annum, from around $2bn now.Officials said the project inaugurated by Mukherjee will go a long way in achieving that, since the plan is for India to import 300mn tonnes of phosphoric acid from the plant annually.Mukherjee said he also considered Jordan as a gateway to this part of the world, thanks to its location and a very conducive investment atmosphere.India and Jordan signed the first bilateral agreement for co-operation in 1947.