BAGHDAD: Iraqi President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid received the Saudi envoy to Iraq, Abdulaziz bin Khalid Al-Shammari on Tuesday and discussed bilateral relations as well as Hajj arrangements for this year’s season.
During the meeting, both discussed ties between the two nations and ways to further develop them and reviewed the procedures and facilities that will be provided to Hajj pilgrims during this year’s season, a statement issued by the Iraqi presidency said.
Iraqi President Jamal Rashid affirmed his country’s keenness to expand mutual cooperation between the two nations to serve the interests of their peoples, appreciating the development in the historical ties between the two nations, the statement added.
Iraq-Saudi trade ties
Earlier, Majid Al-Qasabi, the Saudi Minister of Commerce, revealed that the volume of trade exchange between the two countries increased to 1.5 billion dollars.
Iraq hosted several regional and global conferences and summits, marking the beginning of a new stage of regional, Arab, and international Arab relations.
The Saudi city of Jeddah hosted the fifth session of the Saudi-Iraqi Coordination Council (SICC), which ended on 25 May, and witnessed several deals that would benefit both countries politically and economically.
In the closing statement of the SICC, the two sides expressed their interest to continue joint work in various fields, particularly energy, banking, education, and electrical interconnection.
Both sides also lauded the increase in trade volume between the two nations to 1.5 billion dollars in 2022, representing an increase of 50% compared to 2021.
