RIYADH, 10 July — The Saudi-Jordanian Joint Commission, which began talks here yesterday, is likely to discuss prospects of reactivating an oil pipeline linking the two countries and signing a free-trade agreement.
At the opening session, Commerce Minister Osama Faqeeh urged Jordanian businessmen to make use of the investment opportunities in the Kingdom.
The meeting, according to Saudi Press Agency, will explore ways of strengthening cooperation in economic, commercial, cultural and technical areas.
Faqeeh welcomed the Jordanian delegation headed by Industry and Trade Minister Dr. Salahuddin Al-Bashir and underlined the two countries’ desire to promote political, economic and commercial ties. He also noted the coordination between the two countries at Arab, Islamic and international levels.
He emphasized the importance of exchange of visits by officials and businessmen from both countries.
He also referred to the new incentives offered by the Saudi government to foreign investors.
A Jordanian official said last week that the revival of the oil pipeline would be the focus of the two-day meeting. The pipeline connects the oil fields of eastern Saudi Arabia with Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. It supplied Jordan with its oil needs until 1990 when deliveries ceased following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
Jordanian Oil Minister Muhammad Batayneh said earlier this year that his country wanted to diversify its energy sources and that it was possible in the future to see Jordan connected to Saudi Arabia for oil, gas and power supplies.
