Trade ministers of Egypt, Jordan and Iraq called for developing new plans and mechanisms to activate trilateral economic cooperation and trade exchange, with the aim of achieving integration among the three countries, according to a set timetable, the cabinet's spokesman said in a statement on Friday. Egyptian Trade Minister Amr Nassar, who is currently on a visit to Jordan, has held intensive talks with Jordanian Minister of Industry and Trade Tariq Hammouri, and Iraqi Industry Minister Saleh Al-Jubouri to follow up progress in implementing decisions taken by the three countries' leaders during a tripartite summit hosted by Egypt in March, the spokesman added. The trade minister said he discussed with his Jordanian and Iraqi counterparts a number of topics raised in Cairo's summit to strengthen economic cooperation in the sectors of industry, energy, infrastructure and trade exchange, the statement read. At the end of their talks, the three ministers issued a joint final statement, which includes specific proposals for boosting trilateral economic cooperation and increasing the volume of trade among the three countries, through removing non-tariff barriers to the movement of trade and launching joint investments. The three ministers urged building effective partnerships among representatives of the private sector and backing Iraq's reconstruction projects, the statement noted. Also, they agreed on the importance of achieving industrial integration by expanding into the establishment of joint industrial zones and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, the statement read.
