Iran to launch trade center in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region

Iran has signed a contract to launch a trade center in northern Iraqi city of Erbil with the aim of facilitating trade with Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region.

During a ceremony to sign the agreement for establishing the trade center, Head of the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran Valiollah Afkhami Rad said it should serve to provide a good understanding of Iraq’s market, introduce Erbil’s trade attractions to traders and support the Iranian industries that eye a share in the Iraqi city.

He recommended Iranian companies to enhance their knowledge of the interests of people in Erbil before establishing a branch in the planned trade center.

Another purpose behind setting up a trade center in Erbil, Afkhami Rad added, is to revive tourism, meaning that Iranian leisure and health tourism agencies can start a business there to facilitate the dispatch of Iraqi patients who need treatment.

Earlier this month, Iran’s Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare Ali Rabiei unveiled plans for the construction of two new factories in Iraq in the near future.

During a visit to Iraq, Rabiei said one of the plants will produce medicine and the other cement.

As two neighboring Muslim countries, Iran and Iraq have sought to enhance bilateral ties in various political, economic, cultural and defense areas.