Amman, June 11 (Petra) — The Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) and the
Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECCI) agreed in principle to
establish a joint business council, create a joint electronic
economic platform, pursue a twinning agreement, and study the launch
of permanent commercial centers in Amman and Erbil.

The agreements came during a meeting between the ACC Board of
Directors and ECCI President Gailan Haji Saeed and an accompanying
delegation, attended by Jordan’s Consul General in Erbil Ziad
Batarseh.

According to an ACC statement issued Thursday, the proposed joint
business council would serve as an institutional economic platform to
advance trade, investment, and private sector cooperation.

The council will include businesspeople, economists, and
representatives of various sectors from both sides, helping
strengthen direct communication between private sector institutions,
support joint partnerships and investments, and follow up on
initiatives and projects of mutual interest.

The two sides also agreed to establish a twinning relationship
between the Amman and Erbil chambers through a memorandum of
understanding to enhance the exchange of expertise, information, and
services.

They further agreed to create a joint electronic platform as an
integrated economic information bank, covering goods, products,
companies, trade and investment opportunities, incentives,
legislation, regulations, and relevant economic indicators.

The platform will also include information on tourism destinations in
Jordan and the Kurdistan Region, as well as investment opportunities
in tourism, medical tourism, and educational tourism, supporting
mutual promotion of products, services, and economic opportunities.

The two sides also agreed to study establishing permanent commercial
centers and exhibitions in Amman and Erbil to display and market
goods, products, and services, promote investment opportunities, and
increase trade exchange.

Chairman of the ACC Khalil Haj Tawfiq said the growing official-level
understanding between the two sides has created a positive
environment for stronger economic and investment cooperation,
allowing the private sector to play a larger role in building
partnerships.

He said the agreements reached during the meeting will strengthen
communication between the two business communities and open new
prospects for cooperation and investment. He added that a Jordanian
economic delegation representing various sectors will visit the
Kurdistan Region in the coming period to hold direct meetings with
the business community there.

For his part, Haji Saeed said Jordan is an important economic partner
and a gateway to several regional markets, stressing the Kurdistan
Region’s keenness to expand cooperation with Jordanian chambers of
commerce and strengthen private sector partnerships.

He also underlined the importance of exchanging delegations and
expertise and organizing joint exhibitions and economic forums to
promote mutual investments and establish quality projects that serve
both sides.

Batarseh affirmed the consulate general’s readiness to support
communication between private sector institutions and businesspeople
and encourage joint economic and investment initiatives that
strengthen trade relations and build sustainable partnerships.

ACC board members said information and communications technology is
among the most promising areas for cooperation, alongside logistics,
consulting, tourism, medical tourism, and educational tourism.

They called for specialized bilateral business meetings between
Jordanian companies and their counterparts, as well as regular
meetings involving travel and tourism agencies and representatives of
various economic sectors to present available opportunities and
develop joint programs.

//Petra// AO