Planning ministers in Egypt and Iraq sign memorandum of understanding to draw up mutual economic and development policies

Dr. Hala Al-Saeed, Egypt’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development, and Dr. Khaled Battal, Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning, signed a memorandum of understanding in the field of economic and development policy-making, statistical work, and international and regional cooperation, which was witnessed by Prime Minister Dr. Mustafa Madbouly.For her part, Dr. Al-Saeed said that the memorandum was based on the principle of promoting and exchanging the principles of joint Arab action between the two countries, and believing in the importance of coordination and developing bilateral fraternal relations between the two peoples in the field of economic cooperation between planning institutions in both countries.Al-Saeed explained that the first article of the memorandum includes cooperation in the field of exchanging visits, experiences, information, research, planning, and statistical studies, in addition to benefiting from the experiences of the two countries in the fields of economic and regional planning and submitting proposals and recommendations in a way that contributes to the development of work with the planning agencies in the two countries and the exchange of field visits between them to convey and share experiences.The minister added that the areas of cooperation according to what was mentioned in the memorandum of understanding are the exchange of planning experiences at the strategic, central, sectoral and regional levels, in addition to statistical training concerning the UN goals of sustainable development, as well as the exchange of experiences in the field of planning and balancing programs and performance, in addition to the system for monitoring government performance and raising the efficiency of public investment.Al-Saeed added that the areas of cooperation also included the field of capacity building and the provision of various training programs in the field of strategic planning, national accounts, and various academic degree programs, in addition to providing various planning experiences to develop different planning devices for the Iraqi and Egyptian sides, as well as cooperation in the field of population censuses and economic establishments, best successful practices, and national follow-up mechanisms for government action programs, in addition to enhancing cooperation between the two parties in common areas of work.The third and fourth articles of the memorandum agreed that a committee would be formed under the chairmanship of the ministers of planning of both Egypt and Iraq to promote the process of cooperation between the two countries and exchange opinion and advice following the terms of the memorandum and for the benefit of both parties.The two articles also agreed that a joint subcommittee should be formed to set up implementation programs for what was mentioned in the memorandum and detailed work plans with specific timings. The committee also defines the mechanisms for implementing and following up the programs and evaluating their effects on the planning system in the two countries, provided that the subcommittee meets in Baghdad or Cairo on an annual basis to follow up on the implementation of the programs that will be agreed upon.