IRAN: Iranian private sector ready to invest in Iraq, Khamoushi

Iranian private sector is ready to make investments and create industry on its common borders with Iraq, Head of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Mines Alinaqi Khamoushi said on Thursday.

Speaking in the "Iran-Iraq Joint Commercial Meeting", Khamoushi added that Iran is also willing to set up food processing plants and construction materials production plants to produce brick, cement, lime, and gatch (plaster) for reconstruction operations within 50-km depth inside Iranian borders with Iraq.

Referring to the commissioning of detergent and rubber production plants on the border areas, he said that joint investments and creating industries bring some advantages for Iraq, among them, creating job opportunities, increasing national gross production and decreasing import.

Stressing the need for transparency in word and action to expand trade exchanges between the two countries, Khamoushi voiced dissatisfaction with the amount of trade saying that it yet to be paid due attention.

He said that while the total trade between Iraq and other countries exceeds dlrs 53 billion, Iraqi trade with Iran stands at less than one billion dollars which needs to be reconsidered and dealt with accordingly.

Khamoushi added that according to the figures available, commercial exchanges between the two states are confined to consumer goods and to a lesser extent industrial goods, which should be expanded to other fields.

Referring to insecurity in Iraq which has caused problems in the way of import-export process, he said that Iran is completely ready to actively participate in export of goods and also create gateways in Khorramshahr and Imam Khomeini port cities to import Iraqi products and export to the country through secure routes.

The head of Iranian Chamber of Commerce said that by executing Basra-Khorramshahr oil transit pipelines project, Iraq gets rid of its fuel-related problems.

The commercial meeting was held in Tehran in the presence businessmen, officials from Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Mines, and Iraqi Minister of Trade Abd al-Falah al-Sudani accompanied by a delegate of representatives from different Iraqi ministries.

IRAN

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