TEHRAN – Iran’s Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi has called for continued joint efforts with Iraq to remove obstacles to the promotion of trade ties between the two countries, IRNA reported.

The Iranian minister was speaking on Monday at a meeting with Iraq’s Trade Minister Atheer Daoud Salman and his accompanying delegation in Tehran.

Khandouzi said that trade relations between Iran and Iraq have made progress over the past years. However, he added, there are still obstacles which need to be removed, including those in financial transactions.

The Iranian official referred to a project to establish a joint industrial town by the two sides, saying that his colleagues have made a lot of efforts in that regard and the project currently awaits Iraq’s approval in order for the zoning of the project to be decided.

The Iraqi and Iranian ministers also discussed other projects between the two countries, as well as the reasons behind delays in financial transactions between the two sides.

The Iraqi official pledged that he would make every effort to help remove the obstacles in the way of bilateral trade and economic relations.

Also on Monday, Iran’s First Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber met with Atheer al-Ghurairi and stressed the need for Tehran and Baghdad to carry out trade in national currencies.

He also said that the expansion of trade between Iran and Iraq would require facilitating cooperation between the private sectors of the two nations.

The vice president called on the Iraqi side to help lift the hurdles on the way of trade exchanges.

The Iraqi minister, for his part, said that Iran is the land of history, civilization and thought, noting that Baghdad seeks further enhancement of trade with Tehran.

Highlighting that Iraq is a good market for Iranian products, Al-Ghurairi said that his country has always been seeking to give a boost to imports from Iran.

He referred to Iran as one of the main trade partners of Iraq, voicing his readiness to remove obstacles in the way of exchanges with Iran.

The 6th meeting of the Iran-Iraq Joint Economic Committee kicked off in Tehran on Sunday.

The two-day event was co-chaired by Iranian Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Ehsan Khandouzi and Iraqi Minister of Commerce  Atheer Daoud Al-Ghurairi.

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Photo: Iran’s Economy Minister Ehsan Kahndouzi (R) met with Iraq’s Trade Minister Atheer Daoud Salman and his accompanying delegation in Tehran on Monday.