Cairo – Mubasher: The Minister of International Cooperation, Rania El-Mashat, chaired the Egyptian Ministerial Group in the ministerial coordination meeting virtually between Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq.
The meeting was held to complete discussions on strengthening strategic cooperation and economic integration across the three countries, according to a statement on Thursday.
The Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mohamed Shaker; Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Tarek El-Molla; Minister of Supply and Internal Trade, Ali El-Moselhy; Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, Assem El-Gazzar; Minister of Transportation; Kamel El-Wazir; Minister of Trade and Industry, Nevine Gamea; and Supervisor of External Relations at the Foreign Agriculture Relations at the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Saad Moussa, took part at the meeting alongside El-Mashat.
From the Jordanian side, the meetings were attended by Maha Ali, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply and the coordinator of the tripartite cooperation on the Jordanian side, and the Ministers of Public Works and Housing, Transportation, Agriculture, Energy and Mineral Resources, and the Jordanian Ambassador to Cairo. This is alongside the Iraqi counterparts including the Minister of Planning, Khaled Battal; and the Ministers of Construction, Housing, and Municipalities; Transportation; Agriculture; and Industry and Minerals.
The ministerial meeting comes after the last discussions held in August between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, and Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher Al Khasawneh. This is also in light of the ministerial meeting held in Cairo last December that was headed by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly alongside officials from both Jordan and Iraq.
During the meeting, the ministers from the three countries discussed the results of the previous meetings that took place, the joint cooperation projects that are proposed for implementation, and the developments in each area of cooperation. Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq seek to reach final decisions on the memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and joint agreements to put into practice the proposals for strategic integration and economic and development cooperation.
There were discussions of the efforts of the three countries to activate cooperation and strategic integration in many areas, including the industrial sector by maximising joint relations across industries, including the pharmaceutical, veterinary, leather, and chemical industries, as well as the rehabilitation of Iraqi factories. The ministers also looked into the steps that have been implemented in the framework in order to overcome any obstacles that could arise, while discussing the final details. Considering the political will and consensus that exists between the three governments, this will be reflected in the strengthened cooperation across commercial and industrial sectors. The ministers also discussed the trade relations between the three countries, proposing the export of Egyptian and Jordanian products to Iraq without trade barriers to stimulate the exchange relations.
The extensive meetings also examined the proposed cooperation projects in the energy and electricity sector. These projects are expected to enhance electrical interconnection and achieve integration in the energy and petrochemicals field, alongside oil and natural gas projects. The meetings also included the discussions of the agricultural sector, covering food security and establishing logistical areas and regional centres where trade exchange of agricultural products can occur between Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq. The involved ministers also touched on transportation projects in terms of transporting goods, and joint cooperation in the housing, and reconstruction, and urban development.
