Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh and his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouly on Monday co-chaired meetings of the joint Jordanian-Egyptian Higher Committee in its 31st session.
After the meetings at the Prime Minister’s office, the two countries signed 12 cooperation agreements in the fields of economic policymaking and financial oversight, environment, social affairs, media, culture, vocational training, manpower, social security, health, religious waqf (endowments), and postal services.
Khasawneh opened the committee meetings, stressing that relations with Egypt are based on solid foundations and a strong political will by His Majesty King Abdullah II and President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and a common interest to make every possible effort to further develop cooperation in various fields in the service of the two brotherly countries and peoples.
The Prime Minister said that Jordanian-Egyptian relations have been a model for joint Arab action with a keenness on consultation and coordination between the leadership of “our brotherly countries” on various issues of common concern, noting the Arab League’s role in promoting Arab solidarity and serving Arab causes, first and foremost of which is the Palestinian issue.
He said the two countries see eye to eye on achieving a comprehensive, sustainable and diversified economy capable of competing and adapting to global changes, which is clearly manifest in Egypt’s 2030 economic development vision and Jordan’s economic modernization scheme led by His Majesty Abdullah II and HRH Crown Prince Al-Hussein bin Abdullah II in all its three political, economic and administrative tracks.
In a joint press briefing, Khasawneh called the joint Jordanian-Egyptian higher committee “one of the most organized and productive bilateral Arab cooperation committees”, expressing his pride in its achievements.
He pointed out that the committee reviewed achievements made since last year’s session in Cairo, including guaranteeing the smooth and unhindered movement of trucks and goods through the two countries’ territories, especially transit trucks.
Khasawneh said the talks highlighted a common aspiration for closer cooperation in the pharmaceutical industry field to achieve drug integration and not competition between the two countries.
The committee also stressed the importance of tripartite cooperation between Jordan, Egypt and Iraq, where Khasawneh briefed the Egyptian Prime Minister on the outcome of his visit to Baghdad two weeks ago, where he held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani.
Khasawneh said Jordan and Egypt held identical political views and positions within their strategic relations, including a common vision that stability in the region and the world can only be achieved through finding a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue within the internationally-backed two-state solution, setting up an independent and fully sovereign Palestinian state along the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and within a framework that preserves the existing historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and the Islamic and Christian holy sites there.
“We emphasized, in this regard, the central role played by His Majesty King Abdullah II as part of the Hashemite Custodianship over Islamic and Christian sanctities in Jerusalem, which His Majesty carries out with all honesty, responsibility and ability as custodian of these sanctities,” he said.
Khasawneh said the committee meeting dealt with the need to double the capacity of the electricity linkage between Jordan and Egypt and integration in the infrastructure field, especially gas, and mutually benefiting from gas facilities on both sides of their common border.
The two sides, he added, also talked about an Arab transport project linking Africa and Asia through Aqaba via Sinai, then to El Arish and the Mediterranean coast, and on to the world, pledging “we will work to develop this vital and key project that reduces trade costs, raises the region’s competitiveness and facilitates trade and exports to the world”.
For his part, the Egyptian Prime Minister said the joint committee’s meetings are part of the strategic and historical ties between the two countries under the directives of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and His Majesty King Abdullah to the two countries’ governments to consolidate relations.
Madbouly pointed out that during the past years, the joint committee overcame all challenges and looked forward to developing the strategic ties through launching new projects in the fields of renewable energy, green hydrogen, green ammonia, and many more.
The committee meetings were attended by key ministers and officials on both sides.
The prime ministers held a one-on-one meeting during which they discussed ways and means of cementing relations in various fields.
Source: Jordan News Agency