Egypt’s Ministry of International Cooperation hosted Tuesday representatives of 29 government agencies in order to discuss preparations and kick off the joint Egyptian-Iraqi committee that is expected to convene soon, headed by the prime ministers of the two countries.

During the meeting, the agenda for the Egyptian-Iraqi Joint Higher Committee was reviewed. It was agreed that the committee should reflect the tripartite presidential summit between Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, which aims to deepen bilateral ties and enhance economic diplomacy among Arab countries, the ministry said in a statement.

Through strengthened cooperation, the joint committee will encourage investments between the two countries, particularly in industry, agriculture, energy, tourism and construction, according to the statement.

In September, Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat met with the Ambassador of Iraq to Cairo and permanent representative to the Arab League Ahmed Nayef Al-Dulaimi to discuss developments related to the Egyptian-Iraqi Joint Higher Committee, emphasising Egypt’s keen interest to bolster relations with Iraq in all economic fields.

On 12 October, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met with Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs Fouad Hussein to discuss boosting bilateral relations.

El-Sisi said that Egypt is eager to enhance cooperation with Iraq to help the country overcome the challenges it faces, including countering terrorism and preserving its security and stability.

During August and September, Al-Dulaimi held a series of meetings with Egypt’s ministers of housing, industry and international cooperation in order to discuss the participation of Egyptian companies in ongoing reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

The head of the Federation of Arab Contractors estimated that Iraq needs between $150 and $200 billion for reconstruction.

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