TEHRAN – Iran and Iraq have stressed the need to use the national currencies of the two countries to enhance mutual trade relations, Mehr News Agency reported.

Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade Abbas Ali-Abadi and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani emphasized using the national currencies for bilateral trade exchanges in a meeting in Baghdad on Tuesday.

In this meeting, which took place in the Iraqi Prime Minister's office in Baghdad, the economic relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen them and strengthen exchanges and partnerships at different levels were discussed and explored.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office said, “Today, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani hosted Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade Abbas Ali-Abadi. In this meeting, the two sides explored avenues for strengthening bilateral relations and bolstering mutual trade exchanges and participating in various fields.”

The Iraqi prime minister expressed his country’s readiness to expand bilateral cooperation in the fields of petrochemical industries and fertilizers.

According to this statement, Iran’s minister of industry, while conveying the warm greetings of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, emphasized the need for advancing trade and economic projects in the face of existing economic challenges in the region and the world.

Iranian industry minister arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday for a one-day visit, aiming to meet and hold talks with senior Iraqi officials in order to explore avenues of economic cooperation.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy Mehdi Safari also accompanied Ali-Abadi in his visit to the neighboring country.

In his visit, Ali-Abadi also met and held talks with Iraqi Minister of Industry and Minerals Fawzi Hariri, the head of the Iraq Chamber of Commerce and a number of other officials from the country.

EF/MA

Photo: Iran’s Industry Minister Abbas Ali-Abadi (3rd L) meets Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani (1st R) in Baghdad on Tuesday.