Baghdad, The Minister of Trade, Atheer Al-Ghurairi, stressed the importance of observing the Iraqi standard in supplying goods to Iraq, while stressing the endeavor to expand trade exchange with Iran.
A statement from the ministry stated, ‘Al-Ghurairi met, in the Iranian capital, Tehran, with a number of Iranian businessmen and merchants to discuss finding new formulas for work inside Iraq through negotiation and consultation with Iraqi sectoral authorities to reach radical solutions to the obstacles and problems facing their work in commercial exchange and project implementation, especially those related to transfers and financial benefits for previous projects.’
The statement explained, “There are many projects that have been completed in cooperation with the Iranian side, but there are a large number of projects that are lagging behind, according to the statistics recorded by the Iraqi authorities, which are due to many reasons, including routine and the failure of Iranian companies to implement them wit
h their agreed upon timings and specifications within the contractual clauses, as well as, failure to continue processing in the same quality and type of products with the entry of goods from unofficial border crossings and the consequences of the Corona pandemic.’
During the meeting, Al-Ghurairi also stressed “the readiness of the Ministry of Trade to cooperate in bridging the views of Iranian companies that have strategic projects inside Iraq with the relevant Iraqi authorities by listening to their requests and observations and facilitating procedures in a way that serves the interests of both parties.”
He stressed “the necessity of observing the Iraqi standard in supplying goods to Iraq, striving to increase the level of trade exchange, which has witnessed a noticeable decline recently, and working together to overcome all obstacles in a way that enhances the development of economic and trade relations between Iraq and Iran, in implementation of the Iraqi government’s directives to open up to the countr
ies of the world, especially neighboring countries, including the Islamic Republic of Iran.
He instructed “the Iraqi embassy and the commercial attaché in Tehran to listen to and assist Iranian companies wishing to work inside Iraq,” pledging that “the ministry will ensure that their requests are promoted to the relevant Iraqi authorities for the purpose of working in Iraq and according to their jurisdiction, with the presence of great opportunities in the Iraqi market by taking advantage of the investment map issued by the National Investment Commission, which will be provided to the Iranian side through the Iraqi embassy and the commercial attaché to be presented to companies wishing to benefit from these advantages and facilities it provides.
Al-Ghurairi called on “Iranian companies, through their embassy and commercial attachés operating in Baghdad, to coordinate to hold a joint meeting in Baghdad with the Central Bank of Iraq and Iraqi banks to find solutions to the problem of financial transfers with
the aim of raising the level of trade and economic exchange and strengthening economic and commercial relations in a way that serves their mutual benefits.”
Source: National Iraqi News Agency