Egypt’s defense minister returns from Jordan: military spox

CAIRO – 10 June 2021: Mohamed Zaki, Egypt’s minister of defense and military production and the general commander of the Armed Forces, arrived in Egypt back from Jordan, the military spokesman said on Thursday.

Zaki arrived in Jordan on Wednesday to attend the ceremony held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Hashemite State.

In March, Egypt and Jordan signed several documents to enhance cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

This came during the 29th session of the Egyptian-Jordanian Higher Committee headed by the prime ministers of the two countries, Mustafa Madbouly and Bishr Al-Khasawneh.

The prime ministers of the two countries signed seven cooperation documents, which come within a framework agreement "to enhance the capabilities of electrical interconnection" between the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy, and the Jordanian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. The documents were signed by Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Muhammad Shaker and Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Hala Zawati.

The documents also included the executive program for the exchange of experiences between the Egyptian Ministry of International Cooperation and the Jordanian Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, which was signed by Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat, and Jordanian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Nasser Al-Sharida.

This is in addition to the executive program of the Memorandum of Understanding in the field of water resources that was signed by Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat, and Jordanian Minister of Water and Irrigation Muhammad Al-Najjar.

Moreover, the signed documents included a memorandum of understanding in the field of antiquities, signed by Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat, and Jordanian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Nayef Al-Fayez.

Also, a memorandum of understanding in the field of corporate control was signed by the Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat, and Jordanian Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Maha Ali.

The documents also included a memorandum of understanding in the field of communications and information technology, signed on the Egyptian side by Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat, and on the Jordanian side by Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Ahmed Al-Hananda.

The memorandum of understanding revolves around three axes, the first is related to benefiting from the Egyptian international cable network and linking it to Jordan, and the second axis is related to human development and training by hosting Jordanian cadres in the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology training institutes, and opening common educational and training platforms between the two countries.

As for the third axis, it is related to entrepreneurship and facilitating cooperation between Egyptian and Jordanian companies, through the creation of joint cooperation forums and competitions in the field of information technology, along with joint projects.

Additionally, the bilateral executive program in the field of housing and urban development was signed by Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities Asim Al-Gazzar on the Egyptian side, and Minister of Public Works and Housing Yahya Kasbi on the Jordanian side.