ECONOMIC IDEAL – Tehran, April 7, IRNA – Iran's Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade announced the formation of a Joint Iran-Iraq Commerce Committee, and said that an Iranian delegation in the near future will travel to Iraq.
Addressing Iran-Iraq business-economic conference held at the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Reza Rahmani said memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed during a recent visit by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to Iraq in the areas of Shalamcheh railway, business visa facilitation, health and oil.
The senior Iranian official stating that some of these memoranda of understanding were being implemented and the preparations for the implementation of other sectors were also provided, emphasized, “During the visit of the Iraqi prime minister, in the field of modernizing the country's industries, improvement of infrastructure and establishing industrial townships, memoranda of understanding were signed.’
According to the Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade, facilitating the issuance of visas for Iranian businessmen is another agreement between the two sides on the basis of which a one-year visa will be issued to Iranian traders this year.
Earlier, Iranian Economy Minister during a joint meeting with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, as well as the Minister of Planning underlined on further development of economic cooperation based on specific and operational plans.
‘The Islamic Republic's will to develop economic cooperation is serious and unrestricted, and we expect to have a diverse, broad, long-term cooperation as consolidated political relationship in this area,’ Farhad Dejpasand said.
He pointed to the meetings between the two countries' leaders, and said, ‘It is now time to reach agreement on the operational and transparent plans, with such a strong will to develop bilateral relations.’
According to Dejpasand, Tehran and Baghdad can cooperate in the field of civil engineering, in particular construction of roads, tourism, technical and engineering services, construction of dam, power plant, hospital and chain stores.
Pointing out that Iran and Iraq can operate on the services and trade sectors and insurance services by having deep and extensive cooperation between customs and central insurers, the high-ranking official stated that according to the volume of foreign trade between Iran and Iraq, this country has the second rank among the Islamic Republic's partners, and in order to develop economic and all-out relations, Tehran is ready for any kind of cooperation based on maintaining common interests.
The Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance added that Iran-Iraq trade is about eight billion euros, which is expected to double with the planned measures.
Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Fouad Mohammad Hussein, for his part, voiced his satisfaction with the discussions, and underlined that the delegation accompanying the Iraqi prime minister in a visit to Iran with the participation of nine ministers and a number of businessmen managed to resolve trade problems between the two countries.
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