BICOM

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani travelled to Iraq yesterday on his first state visit since his election six years ago.

Rouhani said at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport before departing: “We are very much interested to expand our ties with Iraq, particularly our transport cooperation. We have important projects that will be discussed during this visit.”

A statement from the Iraqi Government said the visit would: “Contribute to developing ties between the two neighbouring countries and peoples in all fields, strengthen security, stability, and prosperity for all the peoples of the region.” Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that during the three-day visit a series of agreements will be signed in energy, transport, agriculture, industry and health.

Iran and Iraq plan to increase their annual bilateral trade from $12bn to $20bn.  Rouhani was welcomed by Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Hakim. The two spoke about improving cooperation in counterterrorism, security, economy, trade, agriculture, construction, investment, health, transportation, industrial areas and border crossings.

Rouhani visited the shrine of Imam Kadhim, the seventh of 12 clerics revered by Shiites worldwide. He then met Iraqi President Barham Salih and spoke to journalists, telling them that a “stable Iraq will lead to stability in the entire region. We want to be united countries, not against others, but attracting others to our unity”.

Iraq is a key battleground in an increasingly tense relationship between Iran and the US in the Middle East. The visit is expected to emphasise economic ties to help offset US sanctions on Iran. Reuters quoted a senior Iranian official accompanying Rouhani, who said: “Iraq is another channel for Iran to bypass America’s unjust sanctions imposed on Iran. This trip will provide opportunities for Iran’s economy.”

Hamid Hosseini, secretary general of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce said he hopes President Rouhani is able to find a solution to restart $7-8bn worth of Iranian private sector engineering and technical projects in Iraq, which were put on hold after ISIS swept the country in the summer of 2014.

Addressing a joint press conference with Iraq’s top diplomat Mohammed Ali al-Hakim on Sunday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said they had held “very good discussions”. Zarif thanked Iraq for having “refused the unjust and illegal [US] sanctions imposed on the Iranian people”.