Iraqi Finance Minister Asks for Rapid Expansion of Tehran-Baghdad Ties

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iraqi Finance Minister Rafi Hiyad al-Issawi called for broadening ties and cooperation between Iran and his country, saying that Iraq enjoys high potentials and abundant opportunities for Iran's investment and joint ventures.
Speaking in a meeting with Iranian First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi in Tehran on Monday, al-Issawi noted the agreements already held by the two countries' officials in various sectors, and hoped Rahimi's upcoming visit to Baghdad would accelerate widening ties and cooperation between the two Muslim neighboring states.

Rahimi is due to visit Baghdad on Wednesday to sign a number of agreements in various grounds, including avoidance of double taxation, customs cooperation, encouragement and support of joint investment and economic and trade cooperation.

The Iraqi minister expressed the hope that more agreements would be drafted before Rahimi's Wednesday visit to his country so that a wider stride would be taken in the development of bilateral relations between the two states.

He also underlined the necessity for removing the existing obstacles and accelerating the trend of the expansion of Iran-Iraq ties, and said, "There reside abundant opportunities for Iranian companies' joint cooperation and investment in Iraq."

He hoped that the upcoming visit to Baghdad by the Iranian first vice-president would widen horizons of mutual cooperation and help put agreements into effect at the earliest.

Iran and Iraq have enjoyed growing ties ever since the fall of the former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, in 2003.

Both sides are working on a series of plans to take wide strides in the expansion of their ties, in economic fields in particular.