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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Prime Minister Hani al-Mulqi Tuesday met an Egyptian ministerial team which held talks with their Jordanian counterparts, and said the Kingdom is keen on further cementing economic ties with Egypt.

Today's meeting, attended by a number of Jordanian ministers, was to follow up on talks Mulqi had with Egyptian Prime Minister Sharif Ismail on the sidelines of an Arab summit held in Mauritania last month.

Mulqi told the Egyptian ministers that the Arab world is facing immense challenges that required concerted efforts "to turn them into opportunities and wider scopes of cooperation at the bilateral and regional levels".

He said Egypt's interest is a national interest of all Arabs, and congratulated Cairo for the Suez Canal expansion project, stressing that "this great achievement" underlines Egypt's ability to carry out such giant ventures.

The premier also noted the importance of a meeting in Cairo of the Joint Jordanian-Egyptian Higher Committee later this month, which, he said, will reach agreements to enhance joint cooperation.

Commenting on Egyptian labour in Jordan, Mulqi said that registered workers will enjoy respect and protection, urging the Egyptian embassy to request that its nationals obtain work permits, which, he said, would ensure protection for them and guarantee their rights.

The meeting tackled a host of bilateral economic issues and the need to find solutions to sticking points in various sectors, many of which, he said, are bureaucratic in nature and can be solved to "take economic relations to new optimal levels".

The Jordanian side promised to grant Egyptian labourers, who are in violation of labour regulations, to correct their status within two months, instead of ten days and exempt those leaving before the end of the year from fines of up to JD500.