AMMAN — Iraq is an important trade
partner and gateway for Jordan's economy, Chairman of the
Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC) Khalil Haj Tawfiq said, according to the Jordan News Agency,
Petra.
اضافة اعلان
He added that new rules for joint
cooperation are needed to reach economic unity between the two countries.
Removing obstaclesHaj Tawfiq praised the strong and
sincere relations, political support, and joint agreements already signed in
trade, investment, energy, transportation, and construction between
Jordan and Iraq.
Jordanian-Iraqi economic relations
have seen a "remarkable" development due to the trade agreements and
projects signed between the two nations, he added.
Haj Tawfiq highlighted the need to
remove any obstacles that are hindering the progress of the bilateral trade and
to expedite the implementation of joint projects, such as the
oil pipeline and
the industrial estate.
The Jordan-Iraq oil pipeline will
extend from Iraq's southern Basra port to the Jordanian port of Aqaba and is
expected to transfer
crude oil at a capacity of 1 million barrels a day from
Basra to Aqaba with a total length of 1,775km.
Preferential treatmentHaj Tawfiq also stressed the
importance of increasing joint trade exchange and providing preferential
treatment for the products and commodities from both countries in each other's
markets.
The official data showed that the
trade exchanges between Jordan and Iraq increased to JD707 million during the
11 months of 2022, compared to JD415 million for the same period in 2021.
Jordan desires to expand the
"deep-rooted" relations to include agriculture, information
technology, and trade exchange, he said, adding that Jordan has advanced
expertise in these areas, which can serve as a gateway to Iraq's
reconstruction.
The current visit of a large
economic delegation from Jordan to Baghdad is significant in increasing trade
exchanges and exploring investment and commercial opportunities, he said.
He expressed hope that the visit
will contribute to the efforts made by King Abdullah of Jordan and the Iraqi
leadership at various levels to strengthen relations.
‘New beginning’The next stage of in the relationship
between Jordan and Iraq is expected to be a new beginning based on partnership,
with many opportunities for cooperation between the two countries' private
sectors, he said.
The Joint Jordanian-Iraqi committee,
which is scheduled to meet in Baghdad next Wednesday, according to a
JCC statement, will discuss ways to enhance joint trade and investment, follow up
on the progress of the economic estate project, and cooperate in fields such as
energy, transport, customs, health, food, trade, and industry.
On the sidelines of the committee meetings, a joint business forum will be held
to discuss cooperation between the two countries' private sector institutions,
business owners and companies.
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