Iraqi-Saudi Coordination Council meeting Results

Economy
  • 7-04-2019, 10:37
  • +A -A

    Ina- Baghdad

    The General Secretariat of the Ministers Council announced on Sunday the meeting results of the Iraqi-Saudi Coordination Council, held in Baghdad last week. The Secretariat said in a statement- the Iraqi-Saudi Coordination Council reached a number of security, trade, economic, banking, investment and tourism agreements.

    KSA presented a list of (891) Saudi products for reduction or exemption from customs duties, with a proposal to set up a free zone at Arar border port (after opining in the next 6 months).

    The meeting discussed enhancing financial relations, urging Saudi banks to open branches in Iraq, opening an Iraqi ITP branch in Riyadh, study exporting Iraqi dates, wheat, and other Iraqi products and investment in poultry and agrarian reform; to achieve integration in food security between the two countries.

    The concerned Ministries made special agreements to benefit from the Kingdom’s expertise in scientific fields, exchange in engineering, sciences, and discovery of talents, organizing mutual visits for students, increasing scholarships in energy, science and other important specialties, and the development of educational curricula.

    The council agreed to open the investments in Oil, Gas, Industry, Electricity, Manufacturing Industry, Electricity and renewable Energy production, in addition to investment in Phosphate and petrochemicals.

    The most important of the Council’s decisions was the agreement to connect the two countries by railroads and exchange studies to develop ports and air transport. The steps to start building the Sports Stadium (gifted to Iraq) in the next months were also discussed.

    The concerned parties (in tourism, Hajj & Umrah, and religious visits to Iraqi cities) stressed the need to rehabilitate the old Hajj road (from Kufa to Saudi Arabia), increase the number of Iraqi pilgrims wishing to perform the annual pilgrimage, opening up new horizons for tourist groups to visit historic and heritage sites, and preservation of monuments, manuscripts and museums.