The Jordanian Ambassador to Egypt and the permanent delegate to the League of Arab States, Amjad Adayleh, articulated the profound and thriving relationship between Jordan and Egypt in an interview with the Egyptian Middle East News Agency. He lauded the leadership of both countries for fostering the significant growth and prosperity in their bilateral relations. Ahead of the 31st session of the Jordanian-Egyptian Higher Committee, chaired by the Prime Ministers of both nations, Adayleh highlighted the frequency of mutual diplomatic visits between the two countries as a testament to their mutual commitment to collaboration, vision sharing, and learning. The preparations for the 31st session started in Amman, featuring ministerial level technical meetings. Adayleh emphasized the session’s focus on enhancing cooperation across various sectors, including economy, trade, industry, investment, finance, and customs, transportation, health, food and medicine, agriculture, energy and mineral resources, tourism, communications, and the digital economy, among others. The session also sought to finalize several agreements being negotiated on the committee’s agenda, which comprised memorandums of understanding, joint cooperation programs, executive programs, and draft agreements. These are intended to build upon existing achievements and foster further cooperation between the two countries. Adayleh underscored the importance of following through with previously agreed memorandums and agreements and adapting them to sectoral developments and overcoming challenges. He also spoke to the relevance of identifying new areas of collaboration and exchange. Highlighting the breadth of sectors covered by the Jordanian-Egyptian agreements, Adayleh praised the continuity in the committee’s sessions for promoting the implementation and development of the agreed initiatives. Despite regional challenges and global crises since 2020, Adayleh noted that the two nations have consistently prioritized their joint collaborations, seeing them as effective means to mitigate the impact of such crises. Adayleh also expressed his satisfaction with the strength of the partnership between Jordan and Egypt, particularly in sectors such as energy, industry, transport, trade, and agriculture. He reported an increasing trend in trade between the two nations, with Jordanian exports to Egypt amounting to $46.1 million and imports from Egypt reaching approximately $229.3 million in the first quarter of 2023 alone. Egyptian investments in Jordan were also significant, estimated at around one billion dollars, primarily in finance, trade, services, and tourism sectors. The ambassador also recognized the substantial role of Egyptian expatriate labor in Jordan’s construction, agriculture, and mining sectors. In terms of education and culture, Adayleh pointed out that around 4,500 Jordanian students are studying in Egyptian universities, with a similar number of Egyptian students enrolled in Jordanian institutions. Adayleh also highlighted the tripartite integration between Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq, aimed at supporting and stabilizing Iraq while fostering prosperity. Furthermore, he noted the Higher Committee for the Integrated Industrial Partnership for Sustainable Economic Development, which includes Egypt, the UAE, Jordan, and Bahrain, as a promising model of multilateral Arab integration. Lastly, the ambassador accentuated the strong alignment between Jordan and Egypt on political issues, particularly the Palestinian question, emphasizing the persistent efforts of both countries to serve the Palestinian cause and alleviate the challenges faced by the Palestinian territories and the Gaza Strip.
Source: Jordan News Agency
