Iraq And The US Hold Trade Meetings In Washington

Baghdad, The Ministry of Trade announced, today, Tuesday, the holding of meetings of the third session of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement between Iraq and the United States of America in Washington, D.C., after a break that lasted for more than nine years. The ministry stated in a statement, "The meeting was chaired on the Iraqi side by the Economic Undersecretary of the Ministry and included the Director General of the Department of Foreign Economic Relations and the Commercial Attaché and representatives from the Ministries of Finance, Planning, Agriculture and Health, and on the American side the Commercial Representation Office." The statement indicated, "The meeting discussed many topics, the most important of which are the agricultural sector, standardization and quality control, the financial system, customs, company registration, intellectual property rights, Iraq's accession to the World Trade Organization, the health sector, and government contracts." The statement added, "It was emp hasized during the meetings that the Iraqi government is open to all parties and that economic reform and diversification of the economy are considered among the priorities that are being worked on, and that Iraq is ready to discuss any proposal that leads to strengthening relations between the two countries." For its part, the American side expressed its great interest in the issues raised and its appreciation for the reform measures undertaken by the Iraqi government. Source: National Iraqi News Agency