Official: Iran, Iraq to Boost Trade Exchanges

Secretary of the headquarters for the development of Iran-Iraq economic relations Rostam Qassemi announced that Tehran and Baghdad are set to increase the volume of their trade exchanges.
“Construction of gas pipeline and sale of Iran’s oil derivatives to Iraq’s Kurdistan region are on our agenda of talks,” Qassemi told reporters on Thursday.

He reiterated that Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan have ushered in a new era of mutual cooperation.

Earlier this month, Iranian Vice-President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari announced that the country is ready to export its agricultural products, equipment and technology to Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.

Sattari made the announcement in a meeting with Iraqi Kurdistan’s Agriculture and Water Resources Minister Abdul-Sattar Majid Qader in Tehran.

“We are fully ready to export agricultural products, tools, equipment and technology to Iraq’s Kurdistan,” the Iranian vice president said.

The Iraqi Kurdistan’s agriculture minister, for his part, underlined the need for the further cooperation between the two sides, and said, “The Iraqi Kurdistan region is trying to broaden its cooperation with Iran in water resources management and agriculture and Iran’s assistance in these fields can be constructive.”

Last month, a senior Iranian trade official announced that Tehran and Baghdad have considerably increased the volume of their trade exchanges in recent years.

“The value of trade exchanges between Iran and Iraq has reached $12bln now,” Head of Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce Yahya Al-e Eshaq said, addressing a conference titled ‘Iran-Iraq Special Economic and Trade Opportunities’ in Tehran at the time.

Iran and Iraq have enjoyed growing ties ever since the overthrow of the former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, during the 2003 US invasion of the Muslim country.

Iran and Iraq have enjoyed growing ties ever since the overthrow of the former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, during the 2003 US invasion of the Muslim country.