Ankara and Amman will continue to work to boost economic cooperation, Turkey's trade minister said yesterday.

"Our efforts to increase economic cooperation with our friendly sister country Jordan will continue without interruption," Ruhsar Pekcan said in a news conference after a series of meetings between government ministers in the capital Ankara. In one of the meetings, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavuşoğlu, his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi, Trade Minister Pekcan and Jordan's Industry, Trade and Supply Minister Tareq Hammouri, discussed the Turkey-Jordan Free Trade Agreement and exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional developments.

Pekcan said Jordan's stability and welfare are important for Turkey.

Since Turkey and Jordan signed a free trade agreement in 2011, Pekcan said, "Turkey's exports to Jordan rose 19 percent, while imports from Jordan climbed 167 percent." She said Turkey wants to increase its investments in Jordan, and the two countries will bring their businessmen together toward this end.

The minister added that currently there are approximately $280 million in Turkish investments in Jordan. Hammouri, for his part, said the two sides discussed economic and cooperation issues "very openly." "Despite efforts from both sides, the deal has not reached its goals at the desired level," Hammouri said. Hammouri also stressed the common will to strengthen economic and commercial ties between the two countries.