Egypt and Jordan signed 10 agreements yesterday at the close of the Egyptian-Jordanian Joint Higher Committee meetings, co-chaired by Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly and his Jordanian counterpart Jafar Hassan. The agreements cover cooperation in areas like investment and freezones, consumer protection, public procurement, scientific research, local governance, and more.

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DATA POINT- Trade between Egypt and Jordan topped USD 1 bn in 2024, up 33% y-o-y — the two sides agreed to double annual trade to USD 2 bn, a government official told Asharq Business.

Egypt and Jordan agreed to implement joint projects worth USD 500 mn across various sectors, the official said, adding that the projects cover sectors including gas, electricity, infrastructure, transport, ICT, tourism, and housing. Both sides agreed to remove barriers to trade and transport and activate MoUs in health, industrial zones, SMEs, and water management.

Electricity interconnection and infrastructure cooperation: The PMs reaffirmed their commitment to boosting electricity interconnection capacity — a link that could benefit multiple regional partners. Jordan also expressed interest in tapping Egyptian expertise in building an administrative capital, as part of wider infrastructure cooperation.

Coordinating on Gaza: Madbouly and Hassan pledged to work with Qatar and the US to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and host an early recovery and reconstruction conference.

A broader cooperation agenda: The talks also touched on the Egypt-Jordan-Iraq trilateral framework, with calls to accelerate joint projects.

EGYPT, UGANDA SIGN WATER COOPERATION AGREEMENT-

Egypt and Uganda signed a USD 6 mn five-year agreement to provide integrated water resources management in Uganda, and committed to cooperate on the Angolola Dam project between Uganda and Kenya through Egypt’s USD 100 mn Nile Basin infrastructure investment mechanism, according to an Ittihadiya statement. The two sides also signed agreements on agricultural and food cooperation, investment, mutual visa exemptions for holders of official passports, and diplomatic cooperation to support the creation of a Ugandan diplomatic institute.

AND- President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni inaugurated the Egyptian-Ugandan Business Forum, calling for the creation of a joint business council, greater exchanges between business delegations, and expanded cooperation in sectors including agriculture, pharma, building materials, and electrical appliances, according to a separate statement.

PLUS- Egypt is in talks with Qatar and the US to secure a 60-day truce in Gaza, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said yesterday. The proposed truce would include the release of some hostages and Palestinian detainees, and allow unrestricted humanitarian and medical aid into Gaza. A senior Hamas delegation is expected in Cairo today for talks with Egyptian officials.

This comes shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Gaza residents should be allowed to leave the territory if they wish, urging countries that want to help Palestinians to “open [their] doors,” Haaretz reports. His comments come as Israel is reportedly in talks with South Sudan to potentially resettle Palestinians who choose to leave Gaza.

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