AMMAN (JT) - President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev is scheduled to start a two-day official visit to Jordan today.

During the visit, His Majesty King Abdullah will hold talks with the Kazakh leader on means to strengthen bilateral cooperation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The two leaders will also discuss the latest developments in the Middle East as well as regional and international issues.

Moreover, Jordan and Kazakhstan will sign several agreements to increase trade volume between them.

Speaking at the Joint Jordanian-Kazakh Business Council Forum which convened on Monday, Industry and Trade Minister Amer Hadidi said trade volume did not exceed $13 million during the first eight months of this year, noting that the two sides need to work to increase it.

The figure stood at around $42 million last year. Pharmaceuticals and chemical products represent the Kingdom’s main exports to Kazakhstan, according to Petra.

Hadidi, who inaugurated the forum, called for the swift implementation of the agreements reached by the joint committee during its meeting in January last year.

On joint investment prospects, the minister encouraged the Kazakh side to look into projects in the field of renewable energy as the Kingdom is working to tap new sources of energy.

Hadidi also emphasised the importance of registering Jordanian pharmaceuticals in the Kazakh market and the possibility of Kazakhstan providing Jordan with sufficient quantities of wheat to meet the Kingdom’s need.

Regarding trade prospects, Minister of Agriculture Saeed Masri stressed Jordan’s readiness to export vegetables and fruit, noting the two sides can also exchange agricultural know-how. Masri also expressed the Kingdom’s desire to import red meat from Kazakhstan.

Underlining the importance of joint meetings, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Agriculture Akylbek Kurishbayev urged Jordan to purchase wheat from Kazakhstan, noting the large surplus in the production volume and reduced transportation costs.

Jordan and Kazakhstan established diplomatic ties in 1993 and are currently bound by several economic and commercial agreements in the fields of agriculture, tourism, health, transport, youth and investment promotion.