Tasnim – Iraqi and Iranian authorities have signed an agreement that would allow 500 Iranian cargo trucks to enter the Arab country through ‘Mandali’ border crossing every week, a local official said.

"An agreement between Iraq and Iran guarantees the entry of 500 Iranian trucks into Iraqi territory through the Mandali crossing, 95 km east of Baquba, two days each week, at an average of 250 trucks per day," director of Mandali region, Mazen al-Khuzai, told Shafaq News agency.

Khuzai also noted that "poor preventive measures" against the coronavirus at the border indicates the need to adopt “a strict health plan", and stressed the importance of "reviving the economy and employing thousands of workers at the port."

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi visited Mandali border crossing on Saturday and instructed partial reopening of the border for trade exchange operations with Iran. It came after the Iraqi government decided in March to close all border crossings to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Unofficial statistics show that the volume of trade exchange between Iraq and Iran through land border crossings exceeds $12 billion annually.