Preparatory Ministerial Level Meetings for the 8th Egyptian-Algerian Joint Higher Committee began on Tuesday, headed by Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat and Algeria’s Minister of Industry, H.E. Ahmed Zeghdar. The committee’s activities are within the framework of strengthening bilateral relations between both countries in terms of trade, investment, and economy, among other sectors.
Al-Mashat and Zeghdar chaired the ministerial preparatory meeting also in the presence of Mokhtar Warida, Egypt's ambassador to Algeria, and Hameed Shbeira, the Algerian ambassador in Cairo, alongside a delegation of experts from both countries.
The delegation from the Egyptian side was headed by the Ministry of International Cooperation, and included representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Health and Population, Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, Electricity and Renewable Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Military Production, Education, Trade and Industry, and Civil Aviation, Transportation, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), and the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (MSMEDA).
In the meeting, they listened to a presentation put together by a delegation of experts on the results of the technical meetings that took place on Sunday and Monday, during which representatives from 16 national entities and their Algerian counterparts discussed areas of common cooperation and joint partnerships to achieve development. They looked into areas of common interest and reviewed cooperation documents that are proposed to be signed in the higher-committee headed by the Egyptian Prime Minister H.E. Mostafa Madbouly and Algerian Prime Minister H.E. Ayman bin Abdulrahman.
In her speech, Al-Mashat emphasized the depth of the relations between both countries, and their common history, looking forward to deepening cooperation that is reflected in the will of the political leadership in Egypt and Algeria. Moreover, the Minister pointed to the importance of regularly holding high-level joint committees, as it is a key way to ensure streamlined consultations, and an exchange of information, expertise and knowledge. In this particular committee, a number of documents will be signed on irrigation and water resources, transport, finance, environment, and several other fields.
The Minister also applauded the efforts taken by the Algerian government to enhance trade exchange between both countries, facilitating procedures for Egyptian exporters, as well as the continuous communication with relevant entities. In that light, Al-Mashat shared the Ministry’s close cooperation with development partners on securing development financing, within the framework of economic diplomacy, to support sustainable development projects, pointing out several success stories in food security, and transportation. During her speech, the Minister also pointed out the importance of private sector engagement, shared the various on-going development projects in Egypt, the need for knowledge exchange, and the country’s COP27 preparations.
For his part, Algeria’s Minister of Industry, H.E. Ahmed Zeghdar welcomed the Egyptian delegation headed by Al-Mashat, explaining that the 8th session reflects the political will of both leaders; Egyptian and Algerian President’s H.E. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and H.E. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to advance relations and achieve common interests in development. He also emphasized his confidence in the committee’s recommendations, pushing to enhance relations between both countries.
Within the activities of the committee meetings, Al-Mashat held a bilateral meeting with Zeghdar, also in the presence of the both of the aforementioned ambassadors. They discussed enhancing cooperation in several fields, including food security, and to strengthen partnerships between the private sector in both countries.
Egypt and Algeria have long-standing relations, with 7 sessions of the joint committee held under the chairmanship of the prime ministers of both countries, the last of which was in 2014, where 17 agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed.
The Ministry of International Cooperation has been coordinating with national entities and their Algerian counterparts in preparation of the 8th Egyptian-Algerian Joint Higher Committee. From the beginning of the year, several meetings have been held between Al-Mashat and the Algerian Ambassador in Cairo, as well as meetings between relevant entities from both sides regarding the convening of the committee.
It is worth noting that the Ministry of International Cooperation is working to develop bilateral relations between Egypt and its partners, within the framework of the state’s development vision through joint committees. The Ministry chairs 68 committees, including high-level ministerial and sectoral committees, with Asian, European, Arab, African, and Latin American countries. Since the beginning of July 2021, the Ministry has held 7 joint committees with Jordan, Tunisia, Libya, South Sudan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and several other countries.