Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said the volume of Iran's trade exchanges with Iraq amount to approximately $10 billions, but Tehran still wants to have wider economic relations with its Western Muslim neighbor, Fars News reported.
"The volume of the trade exchanges between Iran and Iraq amounts to $9.7bln which shows an 8% growth compared with the last year," Najjar said addressing the closing ceremony of a meeting between Iranian and Iraqi bordering provinces in Iran's Western Kermanshah province on Sunday.
The interior minister reiterated Iran's willingness to play a major role in Iraq's reconstruction, and voiced Iran's readiness "to take part in Iraq's development projects, bids and tenders and start (new) flights to Iraq".
He said cooperation between Iran and Iraq signifies economic and political development, reminding that Iraq earns an annual $1.2bln from the visits paid by Iranian pilgrims.
Iran and Iraq have enjoyed growing ties ever since the overthrow of the former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, in 2003.
Both sides are working on a series of plans to take wide strides in expanding their ties.
Iran in March announced plans to play an active presence in Iraqi power sector after constructing new power transmission lines to increase electricity exports to its Western neighboring country.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with Iraqi Electricity Minister Abdul Kareem Aftan, Iran's Minister of Energy Majid Namjou stated that Iran is ready to increase electricity exports to Iraq.
"We are also ready to build new power plants in order to increase the capacity of power exports to Iraq," he said.
Referring to the newly commissioned Karkheh-al-Emara power transmission line, the Iranian minister said, "The power line has increased the capacity of Iran's [daily] electricity exports to Iraq to 1,200 MW."