RJBC Deputy Chairman Mr. V.A. Kononenko Meets Minister of Tourism&Antiquities of Jordan Mr. Nayef Hmeidi and President of Private Hospitals Association Dr. Awni Al-Bashir

Minister of Tourism&Antiquities of Jordan Mr. Nayef Hmeidi and RJBC Deputy Chairman Mr. V.A. Kononenko

On 21^st December 2011 at the Jordan Ministry of Tourism&Antiquities, the Russian-Jordanian Business Council (RJBC) Deputy Chairman, Chairman of the RJBC Commission for Tourism, Culture, Religion and Social Organizations Coordination Mr. Valeriy Kononenko had a business meeting with Minister of Tourism&Antiquities of Jordan Mr. Nayef Hmeidi.

Managing Director Mr. Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat and Marketing Manager Mr. Mahfouz Kishek also took part in the meeting.

Mr. V.A. Kononenko in the name of the Russian-Jordanian Business Council and on his behalf congratulated Mr. Nayef Hmeidi on the occasion of his appointment to a post of the Minister of Tourism&Antiquities of Jordan and wished him a huge success and a fruitful professional activity.

The participants of the meeting discussed the matters concerning the cooperation in the field of tourism for 2012 and the subsequent years.

Mr. V.A. Kononenko submitted to the Minister for consideration the Concept of arrangements and holding of a two-round Russian-Jordanian Tourism Forum 2012 (Moscow ― April 2012, Amman ― June 2012), which aims to promote recreational tourism, historical tourism, medical tourism and religious (pilgrimage) tourism between Russia and Jordan.

In connection with an expected opening of the Russian Pilgrim House, the parties at the negotiations, at Mr. V.A. Kononenko’s request, focused attention on development of pilgrimage tourism, popularization of religious tourist attractions in Jordan and, especially, the sacred place of the Baptism of Christ on the river Jordan.

Minister of Tourism&Antiquities of Jordan Mr. Nayef Hmeidi entirely approved the Russian-Jordanian Tourism Forum 2012 and its abovementioned directions; expressed total support and complete readiness to render assistance and take part in all the arrangements of this Forum.

In the course of the discussion the parties noted the need for including in the Forum Agenda the items concerning the Jordanian investment projects on development of recreation sites, the Dead Sea Coast and the Red Sea Coast hotel construction projects and attraction of Russian investment companies to take part in these projects.

Also the negotiators concretized the matters and areas of further cooperation in the abovementioned and other directions between the Jordan Ministry of Tourism&Antiquities and the Russian-Jordanian Business Council.

Within the framework of preparation for the forthcoming Russian-Jordanian Tourism Forum 2012 the RJBC Deputy Chairman, Chairman of the RJBC Commission for Tourism, Culture, Religion and Social Organizations Coordination Mr. Valeriy Kononenko had a meeting with President of Private Hospitals Association (PHA) Dr. Awni Al-Bashir.

The PHA has 61 members (medical institutions with 4200 beds), including: 12 hospitals ― cardiovascular surgery, 1 hospital ― Cancer Center, 4 hospitals ― ophthalmological services, 1 hospital ― mental diseases, the clinics that specialize in treatment of gynaecological disorders, dermatological and neurosurgical diseases, etc.

There is a brisk demand for the following kinds of treatment and medical services: kidneys transplantation, a cardiac surgery, a cure for sterility, a laser vision correction, a cancer therapy and an orthopedic surgery.

220,000 people were treated in Jordanian hospitals in 2011; 80% of all the patients were from the Gulf countries, 20% ― from Russia, Kazakhstan and Europe.

Summing up the activities and the quality of provided medical services the World Bank experts ranked Jordan as the Arab region’s top destination and the world’s number 5 as a medical tourism hub.

Health Secretaries of the League of Arab Nations made a decision to announce Amman City (Jordan) as a center of medical tourism in 2012.

The RJBC Deputy Chairman Mr. Valeriy Kononenko and the PHA President Dr. Awni Al-Bashir emphasized the importance and timeliness of the forthcoming Russian-Jordanian Tourism Forum 2012 and the necessity to include the cooperation in the field of medical tourism as one of its guidelines for action.

The participants of the meeting discussed the matters concerning the collaboration of the Russian-Jordanian Business Council with the Private Hospitals Association of Jordan in the sphere of arrangements and holding of the forthcoming Forum; proposed in this connection a number of business meetings, agreed on conditions of the upcoming visits.

RJBC Deputy Chairman Mr. Kononenko V.A., Managing Director Mr. Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat and Marketing Manager Mr. Mahfouz Kishek

An award presentation ceremony: RJBC Deputy Chairman Mr. Valeriy Kononenko is being presented with honorary award on behalf of Jordan Ministry of Tourism&Antiquities

President of Private Hospitals Association of Jordan Dr. Awni Al-Bashir and RJBC Deputy Chairman Mr. Valeriy Kononenko