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Pak-Iraq economic cooperation may take major turn this year: envoy

ISLAMABAD: The Iraqi Ambassador in Pakistan, Abdul Karim M Aswad, has expressed the hope that economic cooperation between Pakistan and his country would take a major turn during the current year.

Speaking in PPI Forum here on Saturday, he said that the forthcoming Pak-Iraq joint ministerial commission meeting scheduled to be held in Baghdad would open new vistas for Pakistani business community to capture the Iraqi market which offers tremendous potential for investment.

He said that a Pakistani delegation, headed by the minister for commerce and comprising senior government functionaries from the ministries of finance and commerce as well as Export Promotion Bureau, beside business represenatives would participate in the joint ministerial commission meeting.

He expressed the hope that the occasion would open up new avenues for economic cooperation at public and private levels between the two countries, and added that the government of Iraq was ready to extend all cooperation and facilities to the Pakistani businessmen.

"Our doors are open for Pakistani businessmen who should come and capture the opportunity," the Iraqi Ambassdor said, adding that there was a wide range of areas for bilateral cooperation. Under the UN-sponsored oil for food formula, he said, the Pakistani businessmen could supply medicines and food items including rice, sugar etc, besides other fields including agriculture, industry and petroleum.

According to him, there are many Western companies based in Baghdad looking for oppurtunities to capture Iraqi market. "But, we would like that these benefits go to our Pakistani brethren," he emphasised.

He, however, made it clear that the opportunities available for the Pakistani business concerns today might not be available after UN sanctions were lifted. Thus, it was imperative that they move into the market and capture it before others took advantage.

The Iraqi government, he said, was also working on the revival of tourism sector which was another pontential area for economic cooperation. He said he hoped that Pakistani businessmen would contribute in this sector also.

He said that Pakistan and Iraq could expand their economic cooperation in major fields such as industry and petroleum, adding that Iraqi delegations which visited Pakistan two months back had put forward a number of proposals on expansion of bilteral economic cooperation.

He hoped that the government of Pakistan would certainly respond positively when its delegation visited to attend the forthcoming JMC meeting and explored the potential offered by Iraqi government in these two areas.

Aswad said that Pakistani manpower would be allowed to work in Iraq soon after the embargo was lifted, and added that there was no visa restriction for Pakistans in Iraq. "We are anxiously waiting for lifting of economic sanctions on Iraq as it is the foremost question for the government as well as the people of Iraq," he said.

On Pakistan-Iraq relations, the envoy said that both countries enjoy historic relations and share common values and traditions. He commended the support of the people and the government of Pakistan to the government and people of Iraq in the latter's hardships.-PPI