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King Abdullah II of Jordan visits Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Canada
11-18-2019
November 18, 2019 Monday morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lauded the king of Jordan for his leadership in the Middle East.
This visit was King Abdullah II fifth visit to Canada in his 20 years as leader.
"I really have to say that His Majesty has been extraordinary in being a strong leader at a time of so much uncertainty," Trudeau said after the two shook hands.
He turned to the king. "Whether it's on refugees or human rights, economic growth and opportunities, you really have been a tremendous, tremendous strong voice."
Jordan with a population of about 10 million has hosted more than 660,000 Syrians who have fled from conflicts around the region mainly Syria. Trudeau had promised to bring 25,000 Syrians to Canada and would eventually see nearly 40,000 Syrians arrive to Canada.
Abdullah will receive an award this week from a U.S. think-thank, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, for his peace-building efforts.
Jordan is a valued partner for Canada. Our shared interests include:
promoting regional and international stability
combatting all forms of terrorism
refugee protection and humanitarian support
free trade and commercial opportunities
inclusive education, accountable governance and sustainable economic growth
women’s economic empowerment
Canada and Jordan also share strong people-to-people links through a Jordanian-Canadian community in Canada, Jordanian students studying in Canada, and Canadians living and working in Jordan.
Quick Facts
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This will be His Majesty King Abdullah II’s fifth visit to Canada since his ascension to the throne in February 1999.
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Canada and Jordan are both founding supporters of the “Christchurch Call to Action to Eliminate Terrorist and Violent Extremist Content Online.”
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Canada also works closely with Jordan on the Aqaba Process, led by King Abdullah, which enhances coordination and cooperation among international stakeholders in countering terrorist and extremist ideologies.
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Canada has been an important trade and investment partner for Jordan since the implementation of the Canada-Jordan Free Trade Agreement.
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Through development and humanitarian assistance programs, Canada supports the Government of Jordan’s efforts to provide a safe haven for over 660,000 registered Syrian refugees who have taken sanctuary in the country.
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Canada also works closely with Jordan to help resettle people fleeing ongoing crises in the region. Jordan offers a safe environment from which families can be processed for resettlement in Canada.
Commerce and investment
Trade between Canada and Jordan is modest. The Canada-Jordan Free Trade Agreement, which came into force in 2012, is Canada’s first free trade agreement with an Arab country. In 2018, Canadian exports to Jordan were valued at $70.2 million and imports from Jordan were valued at $109 million. Canada’s top merchandise exports to Jordan were vehicles, pulses, electric machinery, wood, scientific instruments and paper. Canada’s main merchandise import from Jordan was knitted or woven apparel. Canada and Jordan also have a foreign investment promotion and protection agreement (FIPA), as well as agreements on labour standards, double taxation, air transport, nuclear cooperation and audiovisual production.
Canada’s commercial priorities for Jordan include renewable energy and agri-food. Education is another important sector: at the end of 2018, there were 1,045 valid Canadian study permits issued to Jordanian students, an increase of 37% since 2017.
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