site.btaPresident Radev: "Jordan Is a Very Important Partner in the Middle East"

December 16 (BTA special correspondent Asen Boyadjiev) -
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and his wife, Dessislava Radeva,
 were given a ceremonial welcome by King Abdullah II bin
Al-Hussein and Queen Rania Al-Abdullah in Al-Maquar, the Royal
Palace in Amman, on Sunday.

Radev is on an official visit to Jordan on December 15-17 at the
 invitation of King Abdullah II.

At the opening of plenary talks between the two delegations,
Radev said: "We view Jordan as a very important partner in the
Middle East, the country is an island of stability."

King Abdullah II welcomed the President's delegation and said
this was an opportunity to celebrate the 50 years of diplomatic
relations between the two countries.

Jordan should be supported by Bulgaria and the other EU Member
States because it is a barrier to illegal migration, Radev told
reporters after meeting with King Abdullah II.

"We are sending the joint message that this dialogue at the
level of heads of State should continue because we need the
mutually beneficial cooperation we have, which can develop even
further," said the Bulgarian President.

The two heads of State discussed the political situation in the
Middle East and the refugee problem. "Jordan has been fighting
successfully terrorism, illegal arms trafficking and political
instability. Jordan is an island of stability, on which we can
rely in the Middle East, and this island should grow," Radev
commented.

He also stressed the importance of business cooperation. "The
King of Jordan and I have the ambition to do more for
cooperation between the two countries' defence industries, for
technology exchange and the setting up of joint ventures," said
Radev. He recalled that Abdullah II launched the Aqaba Process
to consolidate the international efforts to combat  terrorism.
This year the Process addressed the fight against terrorism and
radicalization in the Balkans. "We will continue working
together in this respect, not just through information
exchange," said Radev.

Asked how the King views the idea of opening a Jordanian Embassy
 in Bulgaria, Radev said it met with a very favourably reception
 and Jordan's Foreign Minister was tasked with it.

"There are many matters on which we can work much more
effectively," said Radev. He singled out education, adding that
Bulgaria had lost ground in that area because there are some 20
Jordanian students in Bulgarian universities now, compared to
many more in the past. There is a will to increase their number,
 he said.

The President will visit the King Abdullah II Special Operations
 Training Center in Amman, adding that his delegation includes
three officers of the Special Operations Forces who are to see
how the centre is organized. He has tasked the Special
Operations Forces with drafting a project for a training centre.

Radev stressed the importance of his meeting with King Abdullah
II, their third so far, and of continuing their dialogue.
Talking about terrorism as a challenge facing the international
community, Radev noted that Jordan and Bulgaria are uniquely
moderate and tolerant.

Radev and members of his delegation highlighted Bulgaria's
investment advantages at a bilateral business forum at the Amman
 Chamber of Commerce on Sunday. He called the event "very
successful".

The forum was attended by Bulgarian companies engaged in
agriculture, the food industry and IT, including in the defence
industry. The delegation includes representatives of 30
companies.

Radev told local business representatives that there were more
than 100 Jordanians who had studied in Bulgaria at his meeting
with the Bulgarian community on Saturday. "Last night I saw the
most important prerequisite for successful business - trust and
mutual respect," he said. He added that Bulgaria views Jordan as
 a gateway to the Middle East, while Bulgaria is a gateway to
the EU.

As part of the forum, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of
the southern Bulgarian town of Haskovo signed memorandums of
understanding with the Amman Chamber of Commerce and the Jordan
Europe Business Association. A contract for export of 500 tonnes
 of tobacco was signed on behalf of Parvomay BT, a privately
owned tobacco processing and trading company. A memorandum for
partnership between Sofia Tech Park and SESAME, the
Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications in
the Middle East, was agreed.

Bulgarian businesses were invited to invest in Jordan.