Egyptian PM Meets Iraqi Trade Minister on Expanding TiesEgyptian Prime Minister Atef Obeid met Wednesday, December 6, with visiting Iraqi Minister of Trade Mohammad Salah to discuss ways of expanding economic relations.The two sides agreed to take effective steps to push for bilateral cooperations, especially in trade, economy and joint investment, Salah told reporters after the meeting. Egypt and Iraq resumed last month their diplomatic relations which were severed after Egypt joined the multi-national forces in 1991 to end Iraq's seven-month occupation of Kuwait. Since the United Nations oil-for-food program was launched in late 1996 to let Iraq sell oil to buy humanitarian goods, Egypt has been making efforts to develop trade ties with Iraq. The country is now Iraq's largest trade partner in the Arab world and the fifth largest in the world. Salah arrived here on Tuesday for the three-day meeting of the Arab Economic Unity Council, which opened on Monday. |
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