Deputy on the payment of Tehran’s debts: Iraq may be under siege if it deals with Iranian banks
Deputy on the payment of Tehran’s debts: Iraq may be under siege if it deals with Iranian banks
7/21/2020 14:04
Baghdad today – Baghdad
Member of Parliamentary Finance Committee, Ahmed Hama Rashid, warned today, Tuesday, of dealing with Iranian banks in the process of paying the debts of Iraq to Iran, while stressing that the issue is “complicated” and Iraq may be under siege, he said.
Rashid said in an interview with (Baghdad Today), that “the Iraqi Court of Iran had previously tried to pay the latter, but to no avail, given that Iranian banks are besieged and cannot be dealt with.”
He pointed out that “Iraq tried through a group of central banks, including the Central Bank of China, but to no avail, because of the ban in transactions.”
He stressed, “The visit of Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi to Iran may consider the method of payment, and there is no solution other than banking dealings in payment,” noting that “the issue is complicated, and Iraq may be besieged if it deals with Iranian banks.”
He explained, “The factual amounts of the $ 3 billion debt may be due to energy, keros debt, gas and electric power, and the ministries of Electricity and Oil can explain the reality of the amounts if they are realistic or exaggerated.”
He added, “Iraq currently does not have funds to pay the debts, and the matter needs some flexibility in the negotiations between Iraq and Iran.”
Earlier in the day, the head of the Joint Chamber of Commerce between Iran and Iraq, Yahya Al-Ishaq, stressed that Iraq’s energy and electricity debts to Iran would be addressed when Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi visited Tehran.
“The economic issues and following up on what was agreed upon during the visits of the two countries’ officials to remove the economic problems and obstacles, will be on the priorities of the two countries,” Al-Ishaq was quoted as saying by the Iranian News Agency, IRNA.
Al-Ishaq added, “Preparing the ground and planning to raise trade exchange to reach 20 billion dollars between Iran and Iraq are among the topics that the Prime Minister of Iraq will discuss in Tehran.”
He explained, “Iraq’s debt to Iran on energy and electricity, which was negotiated in advance and estimated at about three billion dollars, will be touched upon, and during the visit, a timetable will be set to pay it.”
He indicated that “due to the spread of the Coruna virus and the closing of the borders between the two countries, this visit will expedite its reopening of goods and goods.”
The Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi and his accompanying delegation arrived earlier in the day to the Iranian capital, Tehran, for a two-day official visit.
Iranian media reported, “Al-Kazemi arrived in the capital Tehran at the head of a government delegation,” noting that “Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian was receiving Al-Kazemi upon his arrival at Mehrabad Airport.”
She added that “Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will hold an official ceremony to receive the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, after arriving at the government palace.”
Before that, Al-Kazemi’s media office said in a statement received (Baghdad today) that “the visit includes a discussion of bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries, ways of enhancing them, discussion of issues related to cooperation and mechanisms for its development in a number of areas, as well as a discussion of developments of the situation of mutual interest, on both arenas Regional and international. ”
Al-Kazemi’s office added, “During the visit, the Prime Minister will meet with a number of officials in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Al-Kazemi, his regional tour, was supposed to start yesterday, Monday, from Saudi Arabia, but the deterioration of the health status of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz prevented this and the visit was postponed, so that Al-Kazemi’s first stop since he took office is the Islamic Republic of Iran.
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