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Syrian Trade Minister in Iraq to Promote Bilateral Ties
Syrian Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Mohammed al Imadi has arrived in Baghdad for talks on ways of promoting bilateral trade ties, the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported on Tuesday.
"We are going to work by all means to expand cooperation between the two countries at various levels," Imadi said upon arrival late Monday night, quoted by INA.
Imadi, leading an official delegation, is expected to attend meetings of the Iraq-Syria Joint Committee of Cooperation.
The visit followed the re-opening on Saturday of the Syrian interests section in the Iraqi capital, a move widely regarded as a step toward the resumption of the full diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The ties were severed in 1980 when Damascus sided with Tehran in 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. However, there has been a thaw in the relations since Iraq and Syria reopened their borders and resumed economic cooperation in 1997.
Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan flew to Damascus in January. During his stay in Damascus, the two sides inked a free trade agreement in a bid to boost bilateral trade.
Iraq reopened its interests section in Damascus last year.
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