Egyptian PM, ministers review joint development projects with Iraq, Jordan

CAIRO – 22 October 2020: Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli in a ministerial meeting has discussed cooperation frameworks between Egypt, Iraq and Jordan, in light of the recent meeting between leaders of the three countries.

A meeting took place in August in Amman between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Jordanian King Abdullah II and Iraqi Prime Minister Mostafa El Kadhimi.

It affirmed the need to enhance cooperation between the three countries and determined some projects to be implemented to serve the peoples of the three countries.

A meeting earlier in October also took place between the foreign ministers of the three countries in Cairo.

Madbouli’s meeting gathered Minister of Electricity Mohamed Shaker, Minister of Petroleum Tarek El Molla, Minister of Internal Trade Ali Moselhi, Minister of Education Tarek Shawki, Minister of Planning Hala El Saeed, Minister of International Cooperation Rania El Mashat, Minister of Housing Assem El Gazzar, Minister of Agriculture El Sayed Al Quseir and Minister of Trade and Industry Nevin Game’.

Madbouli said coordination between concerned ministers in the three countries on a number of proposed projects for cooperation in various sectors during the coming period resulted in agreement in principle on a number of cooperation projects.

He added that a set of memoranda of understanding and agreements are set to be signed by the Egyptian-Iraqi Joint Higher Committee, scheduled to be held soon.

During the tripartite summit in August, the leaders stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation and adopting the best ways and mechanisms to translate strategic relations on the ground.

The leaders highlighted areas of cooperation in economic, such as electrical connectivity, energy projects, and the common economic zone, especially in light of the global consequences of the emerging coronavirus pandemic on health, food and economic security.

The leaders directed the relevant ministers to focus on the health and medical sectors, education, energy and intra-trade; encourage investment and economic cooperation, and benefit from the lessons of the emerging corona virus pandemic, in order to deepen cooperation in the face of the impact of the pandemic.

The leaders instructed the foreign ministers to set tasks entrusted to the executive secretariat, including the tasks of preparing for tripartite and ministerial summits, following up on their outputs, and submitting the necessary reports for leaders' meetings.