BAGHDAD – Technical meetings for the third session of the Egyptian-Iraqi Joint Committee have commenced in Baghdad. The meetings, which began on Monday, are being co-chaired by the Egyptian Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation and the Iraqi Ministry of Trade. These discussions aim to strengthen relations and diversify cooperation between the two countries across various sectors. The expert-level meetings are a precursor to the ministerial committee meeting, scheduled for later this week. Rania Al-Mashat, Egypt's Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, and Atheer Al-Ghareeri, Iraqi Minister of Trade, will co-chair this meeting. Following this, the higher committee will convene, co-chaired by Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt, and Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani, Prime Minister of Iraq. The Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, emphasised that the Egyptian-Iraqi Joint Higher Committee is an important mechanism for cooperation and partnership. She stated that it aims to develop collaboration and respond to development priorities, guided by the directives of Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, who is keen to enhance Egyptian-Iraqi relations. This includes both bilateral cooperation and through the tripartite partnership with Jordan, which facilitated the committee's first session in 2020, despite the initial agreement between the two countries being signed in 1988. Experts from both sides are discussing proposed memoranda of understanding, which are intended to be signed during the higher committee meetings. These memoranda cover various developmental fields, including antiquities, museums, telecommunications, and silo construction. The discussions also involve the exchange of expertise in education, health, agriculture, water resources, and private sector development. The Egyptian delegation includes representatives from several ministries, including the Ministries of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptians Abroad, Defence, Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Investment, Foreign Trade and Industry, Transport, Health and Population, Communications and Information Technology, Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Interior, Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, Tourism and Antiquities, Supply and Internal Trade, Finance, Labour, the Central Bank of Egypt, the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones, the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, the Egyptian Medicines Authority, and the Federation of Egyptian Industries. They are meeting with their Iraqi counterparts. It is worth noting that Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid received Rania Al-Mashat during the Davos Forum meetings, alongside the Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El-Khatib. They discussed areas of cooperation and preparations for the Egyptian-Iraqi Joint Committee.
