Lebanon and Jordan sign 21 cooperation agreements

Lebanon and Jordan signed 21 agreements and memoranda of understanding aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation across key economic, institutional, and development sectors, in a move seen as an attempt to revive regional partnerships amid ongoing crises in both countries.

According to official statements, the accords span a broad range of sectors, including economic and industrial cooperation, investment promotion, consumer protection, digital transformation, and tax administration, reflecting a shared effort to modernize state institutions and improve economic resilience.

Inside the agreements: What was discussed behind closed doors

In an exclusive with The Beiruter, the Ministry of Economy and Trade outlined how the Lebanon–Jordan cooperation agreements were prepared and finalized, describing a multi-day process that unfolded across several institutional levels.

According to the ministry, coordination began with meetings at the technical committee level, bringing together senior officials from Lebanon’s Ministry of Economy and Jordan’s Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Finance. “These initial meetings focused on reviewing all existing and proposed agreements, protocols, and frameworks of cooperation between the two countries,” the ministry said.

The discussions then advanced to the ministerial level, with Lebanon’s Minister of Economy and Trade meeting his Jordanian counterpart, Minister of Industry, Trade and Finance. At this stage, the ministry explained, the preparatory committee finalized the content of the agreements and aligned them with broader bilateral priorities.

“The work of the preparatory committee paved the way for the fourth and final phase,” the ministry noted, referring to the convening of the Supreme Lebanese-Jordanian Joint Committee in its eighth session, officially approved by Jordanian Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan.

The ministry stressed that the cooperation extends far beyond trade alone. On the Lebanese side, the agreements involve more than 14 ministries and public institutions, including those responsible for economy and trade, public administration, civil service reform, taxation, customs, transport, agriculture, energy, public works and housing, education, higher education, culture, tourism, media, social development, youth and sports, municipalities, social security, health, food safety, and environmental protection.

On the Jordanian side, participating bodies include ministries and authorities overseeing trade, economy, finance, investment, industry, small and medium-sized enterprises, specifications and standards, taxation and currency, free zones, private sector development, transport by land and sea, agriculture, energy, public works, housing, media, education, higher education, scientific research, culture, tourism, architecture, social development, youth, sports, municipalities, and social security.

Beyond sectoral cooperation, the ministry highlighted agreements covering training and capacity-building, security-related cooperation, education and professional development, and the fight against cybercrime, describing them as essential to modernizing institutional coordination between the two countries.

“These agreements are not symbolic,” the ministry stressed. “They are designed to strengthen coordination at the administrative, technical, and policy levels, and to translate political relations into practical frameworks that benefit both countries.”

A regional signal

The signing comes as Lebanon continues to navigate a prolonged economic crisis and institutional paralysis, while Jordan faces mounting economic pressures of its own. Observers note that while such agreements often take time to translate into concrete outcomes, they signal renewed diplomatic engagement and a willingness to pursue practical cooperation despite regional challenges. For Lebanon, the accords offer an opportunity to reinforce regional ties at a moment when external partnerships are increasingly seen as essential to economic recovery and reform.