Britain: Trade volume with Iraq will increase tenfold
Britain: Trade volume with Iraq will increase tenfold
2025-01-14 02:45
Shafaq News/ The British government revealed on Tuesday the most prominent agreements that will be concluded with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, including the announcement of an export package of up to 12.3 billion pounds to enhance opportunities for British companies and drive economic growth forward as part of the change plan, in addition to working more closely to achieve economic growth for both countries, and supporting a strict campaign against illegal immigration.
The British government said in a statement translated by Shafaq News Agency, “The Iraqi Prime Minister and his British counterpart will announce an export package worth up to £12.3 billion, equivalent to ten times the volume of trade between the United Kingdom and Iraq last year. This package is based on a series of export agreements that will enhance the growing trade relationship between the United Kingdom and Iraq, represent significant opportunities for British companies and contribute to the government’s mission to achieve economic growth.”
“As a proud and open trading nation, our trade strategy will build on deals like this to strengthen our economy,” said UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds. “This announcement reflects our developing bilateral relationship and represents a step forward in our growing trading partnership.”
He added that this agreement – a major export package worth £12 billion, helped by UK Export Finance – will give British and Iraqi businesses more certainty and help deliver real growth and shared benefits for both our economies.
Home Secretary Eva Cooper said: “When I signed the historic agreement with Iraq in November, it was a clear signal of our commitment to dismantling criminal smuggling gangs together.”
“Our world-first security agreement with Iraq is already showing its impact,” she explained. “By strengthening border security with our Border Security Command, enhancing intelligence sharing, and providing additional funding to support Iraqi law enforcement capabilities, we are targeting human trafficking rings where it hurts.”
“Today is the next step in ensuring this important partnership with Iraq goes from strength to strength. As a result, we are making it harder for criminals to exploit vulnerable people, and ultimately bringing them to justice,” she continued.
“Last week, the UK also launched the world’s first independent sanctions regime targeting people smugglers. The regime is expected to come into force within the year and will work to curb illicit finance rings that make huge profits from exploiting vulnerable people by facilitating irregular migration,” she added.
She explained, “The meeting with the Sudanese Prime Minister comes in the wake of the Prime Minister’s visit to the Gulf in December to support stability in the Middle East and provide a basis for security at home.”
“The Prime Minister will strengthen the UK’s defence relationship with the region today by signing a joint statement that will deepen the UK’s cooperation with Iraq a decade after the establishment of the Global Coalition mission in Iraq and Operation Inherent Resolve that led to the territorial defeat of Daesh,” she concluded.
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