PM Modi to hold talks with Jordan King on Thursday; Palestinian issue, terrorism may be on agenda

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday called on Jordan's King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jordan's King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein will hold talks on Thursday on bilateral ties.

Palestinian issue and ways to deal with terrorism, radicalisation and extremism are likely to figure prominently in the deliberations, PTI quoted official sources as saying. 

King Abdullah arrived in India on February 27, 2018, on a three-day visit. He was accorded a grand welcome with Prime Minister Narendra Modi receiving him at the airport, in a special gesture.

The Jordanian King's visit comes nearly three weeks after PM Modi travelled to Jordan as part of his trip to West Asia, including Palestine.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday called on King Abdullah and discussed with him ways to enhance bilateral ties in a range of sectors.

On the other hand, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to sign a host of pacts with Jordan, including cooperation in the field of health, manpower, customs and mining.

It approved signing a MoU with Jordan on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters. This will help in the availability of relevant information for prevention and investigation of offences related to customs violation.

"The agreement is also expected to facilitate trade and ensure efficient clearance of goods traded between the countries," an official statement said. 

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, also gave its approval for a pact for cooperation between India and Jordan in the field of manpower.

The pact aims at enhancing collaboration between the two sides in promoting best practices in the administration of contractual employment, reflect the latest reforms in recruitment processes and enhance protection and welfare of Indian workers in Jordan.

"Collaboration between the two sides in use of online portal for recruitment of Indian manpower is expected to usher in greater transparency and curb malpractices in the recruitment process," the statement said.

The Cabinet also gave its approval for cooperation between the two countries in health and medical science and will cover areas like Universal Health Coverage (UHC), health system governance, services and information technology in health, among others.

The areas also include health research, national health statistics, health finance and economy, chronic disease control, tobacco control, diagnosis, treatment and medication in tuberculosis and regulation of pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

(With PTI inputs)