TEHRAN – An Iranian trade delegation visited Najaf in central Iraq on Monday to attend a meeting with the representatives of the Iraqi Federation of Industries in order to discuss ways of removing obstacles in the way of expanding mutual trade.

The gathering was attended by senior officials from both sides including President of Iraqi Federation of Industries Adel Akab, Head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) Gholam-Hossein Shafeie, Head of Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce Yahya Al-e-Eshaq, Head of the Iranian Parliament’s Economic Committee Mohammadreza Pour-Ebrahimi, and a handful of Iraqi traders and entrepreneurs.

Speaking in this meeting, Shafeie, who headed the Iranian delegation, called for the development of economic relations between the two countries and said: "Iraq is more than a trade partner for us and the ties between the two countries are so deep that we need to make more progress in the economic sectors."

Further in the meeting, Akab welcomed the Iranian delegation and expressed dissatisfaction with the current level of trade between the two countries.

“We must admit that real economic cooperation has not yet taken place between the two countries,” he said.

EF/MA