Speaking in a panel on the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting channel 2 (IRIB 2) last night, the Chairman of Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce Yahya Ale-Ishaq said that nearly seven million tourists travel across the Iran-Iraq border annually, which can increase to 9 million.
Also in the panel, a member of Expediency Council Ali Agha Mohammadi said that that the western Iranian provinces located at the borders with Iraq have a duty to increase economic and trade cooperation with Iraq.
Agha Mohammadi stressed the need for developing rail roads between Iran and Iraq.
Furthermore, Mehdi Nejatnia, the former Iranian attaché in Iranian embassy said that Iraq’s reconstruction takes about $ 200 billion, while the overall need for commodities in Iraq is $ 80 billion.
Nejatnia also said that Iranian companies need to be informed about all the public tenders in Iraq, adding that direct flights to Basra is one of the ways to increase economic and trade relations with the Iraqi side.
Heading a large high-ranking political-economic delegation, President Rouhani arrived in Baghdad on Monday for a three-day state visit, which will end later today. Strengthening bilateral economic relations is announced to be atop agenda of the president's trip.
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