TEHRAN (Iran News) – Minister of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Affairs Mohammad Shariatmadari who is on an official visit to Iraq signed a five-year economic cooperation agreement with Iraq on Sunday.
Shariatmadari made the comment after his meeting with the Iraqi Finance and Labor minister and before departing Baghdad for Karbala in an interview with the IRNA correspondent in Iraq.
He said that signing the economic cooperation document was proposed in my meeting with the Iraqi finance minister and welcomed by him and we hope we will also reach mutual agreement on customs investments, boarder markets, and issues like that during this trip.
He said that the finalizing of the economic cooperation document depends of the Iraqi finance minister’s visit of Iran, adding, “The preparations for signing the five-year cooperation document are made and it is now ready for surveys, so that it will be signed and finalized before the end of the 12th government’s tenure.
Shariatmadari announced that the IRI Economy Minister Farhad Dezhpasand has invited his Iraqi counterpart to visit Tehran for further consultations and bilateral talks, adding: This document on economic cooperation is besides the Joint Economic Commission that was earlier designed.
Very broad economic issues, especially infrastructure projects and economic transactions are among the subtitles and the economic cooperation document that both sides are very optimistic about its benefits, he added.
The Iranian labor minister meanwhile focusing on the joint free trade zones said that consultations on the issue have been done and the foundation stone for that is preferential tariffs, based on which the Joint Iran-Iraq Shopping Mall will be established that will function as a complimentary economic apparatus with the two countries share free trade zones, and in turn, they will both establish broader markets in other neighboring counties.
Later Shariatmadari in a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart Adel al-Rikabi proposed exchanging skillful labor forces with Iraq.
Iran attaches importance to stability, security, territorial integrity, dignity and independence of Iraq and its regional and international position, Shariatmadari said.
He described cooperation between two countries in fighting ISIS and saving the region from Takfiri terrorists as a successful experience.
He called for implementing the five-year document through a joint committee.

He also called on the joint committee to put on its agenda organizing and solving problems of Iranian labor forces in Iraqi Kurdistan Region.
Meanwhile, Adel al-Rikabi hailed friendly relations between two countries, saying it can be a pattern for other countries.
He expressed Iraq’s readiness for taking advantage of Iran’s experiences in creating job opportunities.