Iraqi trade officials discuss economic and banking cooperation with the governor of the Central Bank of Iran.
Iraqi trade officials discuss economic and banking cooperation with the governor of the Central Bank of Iran.
2026-08-16
Shafaq News – Baghdad/Tehran
During his meeting with an Iranian delegation on Sunday, Iraqi Trade Minister Mustafa Nizar Al-Ani discussed ways to strengthen economic and trade relations between Iraq and Iran, and to open new horizons for joint cooperation in a way that serves the mutual interests of the two countries.
According to a statement from the ministry received by Shafaq News Agency, the meeting addressed the importance of developing the volume of trade exchange, facilitating the movement of goods and trade between the two countries, as well as strengthening cooperation in the economic and investment fields, in line with the two countries’ directions to expand the economic partnership and activate joint agreements and memoranda of understanding.
According to the statement, Al-Ani stressed Iraq’s keenness to strengthen cooperation with the Iranian side and develop trade relations in a way that contributes to supporting the national economy and opening new opportunities for the private sector and businessmen in both countries.
The statement added that the meeting comes within the framework of the Iraqi-Iranian movement to expand economic and trade cooperation, particularly in the areas of trade, transportation, investment, industry and services, in a way that enhances common interests and supports the development process in both countries.
For its part, the Fars News Agency reported that the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, Abdolnaser Hemmati, discussed with the Iraqi Minister of Trade, Mustafa Nizar Al-Ani, ways to facilitate economic relations and remove obstacles that hinder trade exchanges between the two countries.
The Iranian agency indicated that this meeting came within the framework of strengthening bilateral cooperation to develop trade, investment and monetary relations, as both sides emphasized the broad potential available for developing economic relations, and consulted on activating previous agreements and raising the level of banking interactions between the two neighboring countries.
During the meeting, Hemmati, according to the statement, pointed to the role of the private sector in facilitating export and import operations, and stressed the need to adopt new mechanisms to accelerate the pace of trade exchanges, especially at border crossings.
For his part, the Iraqi Minister of Trade welcomed the development of cooperation, stressing the Iraqi government’s determination to overcome the challenges facing economic actors and to strengthen trade ties with Iran, according to the statement.
The head of the Iranian Central Bank, Abdolnaser Hemmati, arrived in Baghdad on Sunday afternoon, leading a high-level economic delegation, on an official visit, according to a source at the Iranian embassy in Iraq who spoke to Shafaq News Agency.
For its part, the official Iranian news agency IRNA stated that Hemmati’s visit to Baghdad aims to hold talks with officials in the economic and banking sectors in Iraq.
She explained that the two sides are seeking to establish new mechanisms for joint trade exchange within the framework of the agreement concluded between the two central banks in the two countries.
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