FM Sitharaman holds talks with Jordanian minister to bolster economic ties

Doha: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday held discussions with Jordan’s Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Zeid Toukan on strengthening bilateral cooperation between their countries across various fields, particularly food security, fertilisers, trade, and investment.

At the meeting held on the sidelines of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) 2026 annual meeting here, Finance Minister Sitharaman noted that India is the fourth-largest trading partner for Jordan and highlighted the target of enhancing bilateral trade to $5 billion by 2030.

Toukan said that India is a critical market for Jordan and that her country is keen to continue and strengthen cooperation in many sectors including fertilisers, energy, water, and infrastructure projects, and looked forward to more investment opportunities in Jordan.

Finance Minister Sitharaman reached Qatar to participate in the 11th annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

She was welcomed upon her arrival by Indian Ambassador Srikar Reddy Koppula at the Hamad International Airport in Doha.

"The Union Finance Minister is scheduled to participate in the 11th Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the AIIB Investors Dialogue 2026 in Doha over the next two days," the Finance Ministry said.

She is also scheduled to attend other important bilateral meetings with the AIIB President and her counterparts from Switzerland, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and Nepal.

As part of the official visit, the Union Finance Minister is expected to call on the leadership of the Qatari government and also engage with Qatari business leaders and investors. She will hold talks on deepening trade and investment ties between the two countries.

The Finance Minister will participate in the annual meeting of AIIB, in her capacity as the Indian Governor to the AIIB.

The AIIB is a multilateral development bank that finances building projects—like roads, green energy, and water systems—to improve economic and social conditions in Asia and globally. The bank, headquartered in Beijing, started operations in January 2016 with a capital of $100 billion. The bank has 111 approved member countries from around the world. India is one of the founding members and its second-largest shareholder.

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