ISLAMABAD, May 26: The Jordanian government has agreed to initiate negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Pakistan to increase the volume of bilateral trade.

An official told Dawn on Saturday that Pakistan had proposed the FTA with Jordan on the ground to seek maximum market access for its textile and some primary products like rice.

The Jordan had also shown its willingness to host the first round of negotiations during the first quarter of this calendar year, added the official.

Statistics showed that that the trade was heavily tilted in favour of Jordan during the last three years. The volume of bilateral trade stood around $50 million.

Pakistan exports to Jordan stagnated at around $21 million, while imports recorded marginal fluctuations in the range of $28 million to $32 million during the last three years.