Jordan, Egypt and Iraq trade ministers follow up on trilateral summit outcomes

AMMAN — Jordanian, Egyptian and Iraqi ministers of industry and trade on Sunday held a trilateral meeting to follow up on to the outcomes of the trilateral summit held in Amman on August 25.

His Majesty King Abdullah, Egypt President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, and Iraq Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi on August 25 held the third trilateral summit between Jordan, Egypt and Iraq in Amman.

In a joint communiqué released after the trilateral summit, the King, President El Sisi, and Prime Minister Kadhimi stressed the need to translate the strong strategic ties between the three countries into cooperation in vital sectors, such as electricity interconnection, energy projects and a joint economic zone, while capitalising on each country’s potential to achieve an integration in resources, especially to deal with the implications of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on healthcare and food and economic security.

The virtual ministerial meeting was attended by Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Tareq Hammouri, Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry Nevin Gamea and Iraqi Minister of Industry and Minerals  Manhal Aziz Al Khabbaz, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported citing a joint statement.

Talks focused on the importance of speeding up the development and implementation of plans to enhance joint cooperation in all fields towards achieving strategic integration, notably in the economic, trade and investment fields, and translating what was discussed during the trilateral summit into projects on the ground to serve the best interests of the three countries, according to the statement issued at the end of the meeting.

A number of decisions were taken during the meeting to promote integration and cooperation in the economic, trade and investment fields as four targeted sectors — the pharmaceutical, chemical, textile and ceramic industries — were identified in the first phase to enhance trilateral cooperation.

It was agreed that each country would prepare lists of companies and investors interested in building partnerships in the targeted sectors and to share them with the other two countries within 10 days of the meeting.

The statement said that the three sides agreed to hold an expanded trilateral meeting at a ministerial level, to include the ministers of industry and trade, water and irrigation, education, agriculture, housing and electricity, in addition to the directors of the three countries' customs departments.