Amman, June 23 (Petra) – Italy’s Special Envoy for the India-Middle
East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) Francesco Maria Talo affirmed
that Rome views Jordan as an indispensable strategic partner in the
Middle East, pointing to a surge in commercial partnerships between
Italian and Jordanian enterprises across infrastructure, energy, and
tech sectors.

In an interview with the Jordan News Agency (Petra), Talo stated that
the robust political alignment between the leadership of both
nations, coupled with active coordination within the European Union
framework, provides a high-level launchpad for expanding bilateral
economic ties.

The ambassador noted that structural shifts in global supply chains
present a rare opportunity for Jordan to pivot from a traditional
transit country into a dynamic manufacturing and investment hub.

The Geopolitical Logistics Pivot
Talo emphasized that Jordan’s geography places it at a critical
commercial intersection linking the Gulf, the Levant, Turkey, and the
Mediterranean, while remaining highly accessible to East Africa. This
positioning gives the Kingdom a distinct competitive edge to operate
as the primary logistics hub for the region.

The Port of Aqaba remains central to this vision. Talo explained that
the port can evolve into an integrated regional logistics powerhouse
if seamlessly linked to modern overland transit corridors extending
north toward Syria and Turkey, east toward Iraq, and south into Saudi
Arabia.

Accelerating Jordan’s domestic railway development is a crucial
variable in this equation, the envoy added, noting that rail networks
are vital to lowering shipping overheads, boosting transport
efficiency, and finalizing a highly functional multimodal freight
system.

Bridging Continental Data Flow
Shifting to the digital economy, the ambassador observed that global
commerce is increasingly powered by data transit, describing
information flows as the “energy of the 21st century.” He highlighted
the “Blue Raman” submarine fiber-optic cable project-spearheaded by
an Italian telecom firm alongside global partners like Google-which
routes through Aqaba, positioning Jordan as a premier data gateway
between Asia and Europe.

A secondary, complementary project named “Green Med” will establish
an alternative data route connecting Jordan directly to Italy via the
Mediterranean. Talo emphasized that the strategic objective for Amman
is not merely to host transit cables, but to leverage this digital
pipeline to attract foreign investment in localized data centers,
scale the domestic tech ecosystem, and generate high-value digital
employment.

Production Partnerships and Clean Energy
Talo revealed that Italy, alongside several European neighbors, is
navigating sharp demographic declines and labor deficits. This
reality is prompting Italian industries to look abroad for
manufacturing partnerships with nations that feature a young, highly
skilled workforce, making Jordan an ideal candidate for industrial
joint ventures.

Furthermore, these emerging trade corridors are built to support
future energy transmission, particularly green hydrogen. The
ambassador noted that Jordan is geographically primed to serve as the
structural link connecting major energy producers in the Gulf with
high-demand consumer markets across Europe, drastically elevating its
regional economic leverage.

The expected macroeconomic yield for the Kingdom includes reduced
transport costs, heightened trade volumes, greater foreign direct
investment, and targeted job creation across the digital, industrial,
and logistical sectors. Talo concluded by stressing that the
immediate priority must focus on converting these structural
advantages into actionable, brick-and-mortar development projects.

//Petra// AA