12 September 2004	Sunday	26 Rajab 1425

ISLAMABAD, Sept 11: Pakistan and Jordan on Saturday agreed to jointly undertake eight projects in the fields of engineering sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy and agriculture.

The two sides signed an agreement on Saturday to initiate the projects earlier discussed during two-day talks held under the banner of a joint board constituted by the two countries after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in January 2001.

Under the MoU ratified earlier this year, Pakistan and Jordan had pledged to strengthen cooperation between the two brotherly countries by undertaking joint projects.

In the latest round of talks, Pakistan's delegation was led by Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Nouraiz Shakoor Khan while the Jordanian side was led by Khalid Elshuraydeh, secretary-general of the Jordan's Higher Council for Science and Technology.

Dr Attaur Rehman, chairman of the Higher Education Commission and senior officials of the ministry of science and technology were part of Pakistan's delegation.

The two sides also agreed to enter into consultations about more projects in the fields of engineering, advanced materials, biotechnology, information and communication technologies, nano-technology and pharmaceuticals.

The projects the two sides agreed to undertake include pre-feasibility study of use of natural/artificial fibres as replacement of asbestos in fibre reinforced cement/concrete construction application and installation of pilot plan for the development of cement-bonded panel by using locally-available agro-waste for low-cost housing project in the engineering sciences area.

The projects approved in the fields of biotechnology include joint research on fertilizer management in salt-affected soils and molecular and genetic basis of hereditary hearing impairment.

In the field of pharmaceuticals, the two sides would launch a project for carrying out comparative studies of traditional knowledge on economically important medicinal plants from various deserts of Pakistan and Jordan.

Both the countries would also exchange scientists/experts/technologists in the field of renewable energy technology.

In the field of agriculture, two projects approved for execution were joint programme for promotion of high-efficiency irrigation systems for increased water productivity and a joint programme on rainwater harvesting in desert areas of Pakistan and Jordan.

Following the Islamabad-round talks, the joint board of two countries would have next round of talks at Amman in Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in 2005.