Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 16
By Fikret Dolukhanov – Trend:
The situation created by US anti-Iranian measures will not affect Iran-Iraq commercial cooperation, Iranian news agency Mehr reported citing Head of Iraqi Chamber of Commerce Jafar Hamdan.
During the meeting with Iraj Masjed-Jame'I, Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad, Hamdan said that Iraqi traders will continue their commercial activities in the private sector of Iran.
Referring to the important role of trade chambers in expanding trade between the two countries, Masjed-Jame'I said, that noticeable participation of Iraqi traders in Iran international exhibitions and mutual investments will be an important step in activating provincial collaborations and exchanging commercial delegations.
Iranian commercial attaché in Baghdad Nasser Behzad added that the message of the meeting would be to prevent any kind of harm to the Iraqi people's demands and also continuation of collaborations between the private sectors of the neighbors.
Iran's non-oil export to Iraq reaches $6 billion a year; including the oil production and engineering services it exceeds $10 billion.
On May 8, the US president pulled his country out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear agreement achieved in Vienna in 2015 after two years of negotiations among Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
After Donald Trump withdrew the US from the deal, his administration moved to re-implement the previous sanctions against Iran.
The United States reimposed stiff economic sanctions on Iran on Monday, ratcheting up pressure on the Islamic Republic despite statements of deep dismay from European allies.
A first set of reimposed US sanctions affect financial transactions that involve US dollars, Iran's automotive sector, the purchase of commercial planes and metals including gold.
A second batch of US sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector and central bank are to be reimposed in early November.
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov