NNA – Minister of Industry, George Bouchikian, crowned his visit to Iraq by holding talks with the Iraqi Minister of Industry and Minerals, Manhal Aziz Al-Khabbaz, and the Iraqi Minister of Trade, Alaa Al-Jabbouri, which resulted in the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the ministries of industry in both countries, and the second with Minister Al-Jabbouri focusing on developing production and commodity exchanges and researching the importance of convening the joint economic committee in full coordination with the Lebanese Ministry of Economy and Trade.
The visit also included a tour with Minister Al-Khabbaz in the permanent Iraqi exhibition stand at the Baghdad International Fair.
Among the most prominent agreements reached during Minister Bouchikian’s meetings in Iraq are:
- Adherence by both parties to establishing the best relations between Lebanon and Iraq
- Developing areas of industrial and mutual cooperation, eliminating technical obstacles to the flow of goods, and giving Lebanese loaded trucks the chance to reach their final destination
- Establishing complementary partnerships, namely in allowing each country to benefit from the strengths of the other
- Agreeing to supply Lebanon with the raw materials needed for manufacturing, with the possibility of re-exporting the final product from Lebanon to Iraq
- Lebanon's readiness to train Iraqi cadres in many administrative and industrial fields
- Exchanging experiences and placing Lebanese research and development centers at the disposal of the Iraqi side.
In his talks during the visit, Minister Bouchikian thanked Iraq and the Iraqi people for “this distinguished welcome and for their devotion for Lebanon and the Lebanese, which we reciprocate,” valuing Iraq’s support for Lebanon as a “fundamental building block for a partnership and strategic cooperation between the two countries."
“We discussed technical and economic matters to facilitate exchange and establish joint bilateral investments in the industrial and production sectors that meet the needs of the two countries, the most significant of which are the pharmaceutical and food industries,” he indicated.
“Integrative industries is the title of the next stage of cooperation with Iraq,” Bouchikian underscored.
The importance of holding conferences and exhibitions in the two countries to the benefit of both sides, the necessity of increasing the volume of joint trade exchange between Lebanon and Iraq, solving the issue of transit and starting preparations for holding the joint economic committee were also discussed.
In this connection, the signed memorandum of understanding between both sides stems from the common wish to strengthen relations and enhance cooperation in various fields of mutual interest on the basis of long-term bilateral relations, and to enhance economic, industrial, scientific, technical, environmental, administrative and technological cooperation, and to develop and promote new forms of joint cooperation in the fields of innovation, research, production and joint investment.
==========R.Sh.
