Lisbon, May 19, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal and Jordan have expressed interest in Lisbon in establishing a direct air link between their two capitals, a move aimed at deepening economic ties between the two nations.
“Jordan is very interested, and we will work to ensure we can have a direct flight between Amman and Lisbon and create connectivity, because we agree that this would have huge potential,” said foreign minister Paulo Rangel, who on Monday received his Jordanian counterpart and deputy prime minister, Ayman Safadi, in Lisbon.
Rangel cited the pharmaceutical and defence industries as sectors that would benefit from a direct link.
“If we have a direct flight, it will be much easier to create the conditions necessary to improve our trade and economic relations,” he said.
Similarly, his Jordanian counterpart said: "We are looking forward to the opportunity to launch a direct route between Amman and Lisbon. I believe this will give a huge boost to our economic ties."
During the press conference following their meeting, the two leaders highlighted positive bilateral relations, underpinned by strong historical ties and shared international policy values, emphasising the potential to further deepen cooperation.
“This meeting has a specific purpose, which is to revitalise the relationship. We discussed at length the strengthening of economic ties in various areas, such as defence and security, which could be a new field for cooperation, in agriculture and agribusiness, in energy, particularly renewables, and in the tourism sector,” said Paulo Rangel.
For his part, the Jordanian minister highlighted that King Abdullah II held relations with Portugal in high esteem and saw immense potential for cooperation.
Safadi expressed hope that his visit to Portugal would provide a new impetus to the bilateral relationship, underlining that while there was much to be done, both countries possessed the will and commitment to identify new mutually beneficial areas of cooperation.
The Jordanian minister also identified energy, water and water management, the defence industries, agriculture, education, culture, and tourism, as areas for potential cooperation, highlighting “great potential for increased tourism in both countries”.
Following the meeting on Monday, the two ministers signed a cooperation protocol in the field of diplomatic training.
After the press conference, the meeting continued with a dinner, during which the ministers were due to hold further discussions on the international situation, particularly in the Middle East.
JH/MYAL // AYLS
Lusa
