Kuwaiti human rights activists and lawmakers have criticised a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Gulf state’s Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) with the Egyptian Administrative Control Authority (ACA) to fight corruption; saying Cairo is ranked among the countries with the highest level of corruption according to Transparency International.

Kuwait’s Nazaha said in a statement that “the signed MoU will help boost bilateral cooperation between the government of Kuwait represented by Nazaha and the Egyptian government represented by ACA.”

According to the statement, the deal is part of the United Nations Convention against Corruption which urges member states to unite and cooperate through bilateral understandings and agreements, Kuwait’s KUNA news site reported.

Kuwaiti lawmaker, Abdul Karim Al-Kandari responded to Nazaha’s announcement saying that the signing of such an agreement with a country that sits at the bottom of the corruption index represents a loss of its credibility.

Human rights activist, Salah Al-Hashem wrote on Twitter: “I tell the Minister of Justice and the Prime Minister … After signing the agreement between the Egyptian Anti-Corruption Authority and its Kuwaiti counterpart, you should immediately refrain from renewing the mandate of the members of the Board of Trustees of Nazaha.”

Kuwait ranks 78th internationally in the Transparency International Corruption Index while Egypt ranks 108th.