LONDON: Israel said Sunday it would accelerate the process of setting up a shared industrial zone with Jordan.

The decision to accelerate the construction and operation of the Jordan Gateway park was taken to enhance cooperation with Jordan, the government added.

The project was first proposed during talks on the Jordan-Israel Peace Treaty that was signed in 1994. The final details of the initiative were addressed last week during Lapid’s visit to Amman where he met with King Abdullah II.

“Twenty-eight years since the peace agreement with Jordan, we are taking the good neighborly relations between our two countries another step forward,” Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said.

“This is a breakthrough that will contribute greatly to developing and strengthening the region. The final details regarding this initiative were addressed last week during my visit with King Abdullah II in Amman.”

Lapid said the initiative would increase employment in both countries, advance economic and diplomatic relations, and enhance the peace and friendship between Jordan and Israel.

“This is a joint industrial zone on the border. It will allow Israeli and Jordanian entrepreneurs and businesspeople to communicate directly. It will produce joint initiatives in trade, technology, and local industry.”

The decision includes advancing the operation of the Jordan Gateway Park Terminal for pedestrians, which will also be a crossing for entrepreneurs interested in the initiative and the industrial zone on the Jordanian side.

The Israel Airports Authority will build and operate the Jordan Gateway Park Terminal, subject to budgetary agreements and the approval of the Knesset Economics Committee.

It will include a facility for hosting executives and guests arriving from Jordan for business purposes.

The immediate construction of an entrance facility and the necessary structures for operating the park would be evaluated while allocating resources for completion, the government added.