IranIraq

Iraqi President Due in Tehran on Saturday

 

Iraqi President Barham Salih is slated to pay an official visit to Iran tomorrow (on Saturday) to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments with senior Iranian officials.

President Salih, heading a high-ranking delegation, during his two-day visit to Tehran will meet his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani and other senior Iranian officials to further expand mutual cooperation between Tehran and Baghdad.

The two sides will sign several cooperation pacts and memoranda of understanding during Salih’s stay in Iran.

The Iranian and Iraqi presidents will also attend a joint press conference in the Iranian capital.

In relevant remarks earlier in October, President Salih voiced his country’s willingness to broaden bilateral relations with Iran in different fields, and said it is in Baghdad’s best interests to have friendly and stable ties with Iran.

“Iran is a neighboring country and our interest lies in having good and stable relations with Iran,” Barham Salih told reporters during a visit to Kuwait.

The Iraqi president pointed to age-old relations between Baghdad and Tehran, and said, “There are vast areas that the two countries can increase their cooperation.”

Iran is currently Iraq’s top trade partner, with an annual turnover standing at about $12 billion.

Foodstuff, livestock, construction materials and plastic products constitute the bulk of Iran’s exports to Iraq where Iranian vehicles and food items are a ubiquitous sight.

Iran and Iraq have also been exchanging oil through a swap deal under which crude from the Kirkuk field in northern Iraq is shipped by truck to Iran, which uses it in its refineries and delivers the same amount of oil to Iraq’s southern ports.

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