TEHRAN (FNA)- Iraqi Vice President Nuri Al-Maliki's recent visit to Khorassan Razavi province has paved the way for the further expansion of trade ties between Iran and Iraq, a senior provincial official announced on Saturday.
"A delegation comprising businessmen and investors of Khorassan Razavi province will travel to Iraq to study potential capacities for the expansion of economic relations between Mashhad and Baghdad cities," Khorassan Razavi Deputy Governor General Mohsen Sadeqi said, addressing a press conference in the Northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad today.

He noted that Maliki during his visit to Mashhad had several meetings with Khorassan Razavi's provincial officials to expand the economic and trade relations between the two sides and utilize the capabilities of the two countries.

Maliki was in Iran earlier this week to confer on the latest regional developments, and explore new avenues for the further development of Tehran-Baghdad mutual cooperation.

On Wednesday, Deputy Head of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines Alaeddin Mir Mohammad Sadeqi said that establishment of Iran-Iraq joint trade companies is one of the best ways to boost Tehran-Baghdad trade ties in the shortest time possible.

Speaking in a meeting with visiting Iraqi trade delegation in Tehran, Mir Mohammad Sadeqi underscored that Iran's Chamber of Commerce is fully ready to expand its all-out ties with Iraq.

The Iraqi delegation's officials welcomed Iran's proposal and vowed to do their best to pave the ground for further development of commercial relations between the two nations.

Last month, Head of the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran Valiollah Afkhami Rad announced that Iran and Iraq have signed a trade protocol for the promotion of cooperation between the two countries.

"This protocol has 15 paragraphs and it has been signed to facilitate trade transactions between Iran and Iraq," told FNA at the time.

He pointed to the recent visit of Iraqi Trade Minister Mohammed Abdul Karim to Iran and his meetings with senior Iranian officials, and said, "The Iraqi minister discussed the problems facing Iranian businessmen for exporting their goods to Iraq."

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.

By Fars News Agency

 

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