“Senior executives from dozens of state-run and private entrepreneurial companies will accompany the foreign minister in this trip,” Qassemi said Saturday.
During the important regional trip, Zarif will meet with high-ranking Iraqi officials and participate in joint trade conferences in several cities including Karbala and Sulaymaniyah, the spokesman said.
The top diplomat’s visit to the neighbouring country is of particular significance since it will be made shortly after the trip of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Baghdad, which was aimed at convincing Iraqi officials to restrict their ties with Tehran.
Iran is Iraq’s largest trading partner, with annual trade between the two reaching up to $12 billion.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said late November Iran and Iraq could raise bilateral trade to $20 billion.
