Interview with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to Kazakhstan Yousef Abdelghani.
What is your first impression of Kazakhstan and has it not changed over time?
Kazakhstan was not well-known in the Arab region as it was newly created since it became independent in the early nineties, but recently our region developed aninterest in Kazakhstan and the Central Asian region in general. And nowadays more and more Jordanians travel to Kazakhstan to study and work or invest.
And the historical and cultural similarities and traditions between Jordanian and Kazakh societies surprise them.
When I came to Kazakhstan I was pleasantly surprised by the level of development that the country has reached. It is considered the most developed and fastest growing country in the region. Kazakhstan has tremendous potential and enormous natural resources. I expect that it will soon become one of the 30th largest economies in the world.
I spent almost more than four years in Kazakhstan and I witnessed many events in the country. By virtue of my work, I follow public affairs closely, and the remarkable thing is that there are many positive developments that took place over the past four years on all levels, especially in political and economic. Five democratic polls took place in just one year to choose various leaders and institutions of the state. The Constitutional Court was established, the number of parties participating in the electoral process increased. The judiciary reformed, the Anti-Corruption Committee established, the role of youth, women and people with special needs activated in society, and the ceiling of press freedoms raised. Additionally, social and economic reforms, such as the establishment of the Astana financial market and the court attached to it and the institutions of financial oversight took place. All of these things brought about a positive revolution and made Kazakhstan rightfully a pioneer in the region in the field of reform.
Tell us about the current political and economic development in Jordan.
Jordan and Kazakhstan are similar not only in their economic policy but also in many other matters. Starting with the fact that we adhere to international neutrality and our positions are one towards regional and international issues, and we exchange support in international forums. Our policy is based on respecting the integrity, cultures and sovereignty of all countries and also non-interference in their internal affairs. Our leadership is internationally respected as well.
In regards to our economies, our economic system follows the policy of open market and economic liberalism. Since His Majesty King Abdullah II took over, he implemented comprehensive revolution in the economy. Numerous acts of legislation have been enacted to encourage and protect investments and create large development projects. Recently, His Majesty King Abdullah II launched a program "Vision for Economic Modernization", which aims to raise $41 billion in funding to help boost the Kingdom's gross domestic product to RSD 58.1 billion ($82 billion) by 2033 from RSD 30.2 billion.
Currently, Jordan's Vision for the modernization of the national economy includes updating the laws and regulations governing investment.
The vision of economic modernization includes 8 main areas, such as industry, digital economy, a better life and the health sector.
The cost of economic projects under the plan is 47 billion JOD. The vision is to create one million jobs at a rate of 100,000 jobs annually, while achieving an annual economic growth rate of 4%. The cost of economic projects under the plan is 47 billion JOD. The vision is for Jordan to be among the top 30 countries with the highest global investment attraction. The concept is going to be implemented in three phases: the first is in the period from 2022 to 2025 and will be aimed at improving economic and social policies, using and expanding existing resources and skills, while entering new markets. And the second is for the period from 2026 to 2029 will focus on the new resources, products and skills. While the third is 2030-2033, and will focus on filling any strategic gaps and preparing for an expected future growth phase.
Politically, Jordan is located in a difficult geopolitical region, but Jordan is distinguished by the fact that it is described by some as an oasis of security and stability in the midst of a burning ocean. Several constitutional reforms have been undertaken to enhance the role of the legislature, judiciary and supervisory authorities. The reforms also included expanding freedom of opinion, religious freedom, and greater representation from all sectors of society, especially women, youth, and marginalized groups.
Our political system is described as a democratic, parliamentary hereditary monarchy. The government isaccountable to the Parliament and the government determines the general policy of the state and the budget. Parliament has the role of oversight and legislation and gives credibility or withdrew it from the government. And His Majesty the King chooses the Prime Minister and the King presides over the three authorities in the country and usually gives general directives to the government. In case if the sovereign authorities or groups of people ask him to do so, then he intervenes to settle disputes among them. As part of political reforms the Constitutional Court in Jordan and Anticorruption Committee were created and they are separate and independent.
Jordan has an excellent network of relations with all countries of the world based on friendly relationship and mutual respect. And Jordan pursued a policy of open doors for neighboring countries who seeks refuge in it to escape from wars or persecution. Since 1948, Jordan has been subjected to numerous waves of immigration, and hosts on its land more than 3 million refugees from Palestine, Syria, Iraq and other countries. Despite the limited capabilities and resources of our economy, we did not close our door to them; rather we considered them as our guests.
What is the current state of relations between the two countries?
The leaders of our two countries have strong fraternal and friendly relations. Recently, the two countries celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between them. His Majesty the King and his brother President Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev exchanged congratulations on this occasion and recently held a telephone conversation to strengthen the brotherly ties between the two parts and exchange views.
His Majesty the King and His Excellency the President met twice in New York and agreed to prioritize the development of bilateral relations between our countries.
His Majesty the King visited Kazakhstan seven times and this sustains the importance that Jordan attaches to Kazakhstan.
The two countries have many bilateral agreements. There is a joint governmental committee and a joint businessmen council that are expected to hold their sixth meeting in Amman in the second half of this year. There is also a political consultation committee that has held two meetings so far. Currently, the next meeting is expected to be held in the second half of the year.
Trade exchanges are still below the level of ambition, and there are many reasons for this. Perhaps, the most prominent of which is the high costs of freight and transportation, as well as the lack of direct flights between the two countries and the geopolitical situation in the region.
At the cultural level, there are about 500 Jordanian students studying at four universities in Kazakhstan, there are a number of Jordanian investors who invest in Kazakhstan, and our Jordanian community is estimated to be about one thousand people.There are many cases of common marriages.
In general, we have an excellent bilateral relationship. But there is a need to activate the economic side of it.
This year, Kazakhstan celebrates the 800th anniversary of the birth of the Great Commander Sultan Baibars Al-Bundukdari. There are many historical sites in Jordan related to its name. Tell the readers about it.
As I already mentioned, Jordanians and Kazakhs have a common history as Jordanians have a great respect for Sultan Zahir Baybars as he is one of the great leaders in our Islamic history, who together with Sultan Qutuz defeated the Mongols in the Battle of Ain Jalut in northern Palestine in 1260 and saved the Arab world from destruction. And I remember that we used to study about Sultan Baybars in history books, and he has always been described as strong, courageous, and magnanimous. Jordan has many historical castles and palaces attributedto Sultan Baybars, such as Al-Karak Castle, Al-Shawbak Castle and Al-Azraq Castle. Castles and forts, either built by the Mamluks or renovated, are scattered in different parts of our country, because the Mamluks ruled the Levant for about 267 years, that is, from 1250 to 1517 AD.