Lebanon will send a high-powered industrial group to Iraq in February to boost bilateral economic ties and promote sales of Lebanese goods, the Daily Star newspaper reported on December 29.

The delegation, to be led by Lebanese Minister of Economy and Trade Nasser Saidi, is expected to hold a massive Lebanese Industry and Agricultural Fair and sign some new contracts with the Iraqi side.

Jacques Sarraf, president of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, said he expects more than 100 Lebanese companies to participate in the fair, the same number of companies that took part in the Baghdad international trade fair in November this year.

Mohammed Taher al-Hayali, head of Iraq's parliamentary agriculture committee, met with Lebanese industrialists on Tuesday in Baghdad to discuss plans for the fair slated for February 20-27.

Lebanese businessmen have found Iraq to be a very receptive market to Lebanese goods, the paper said.

Lebanon's exports to Iraq rosed rapidly over the last few years. More than 60 million US dollars of goods were sold to Iraq last year.

Iraq now stands as the fourth most important market for Lebanese goods, surpassed only by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and France.

Under strict UN sanctions, which were imposed on Iraq after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait, Iraq is allowed to buy limited amount of goods to meet its humanitarian needs.