Amir's visit a fresh start for relations between countries

Iraq government spokesperson Dr Bassim al-Awadi has stressed the importance of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani's official visit to Iraq, which comes upon the invitation from Iraq Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani.In remarks to the Qatar News Agency (QNA), al -Awadi said that His Highness the Amir's visit represents a fresh start to strengthen the relations between the two countries and advance them towards broader horizons and co-ordinate on many regional and international issues of common concern.The official said he values Qatar's support of Iraq, its constant keenness on its stability, and its support of everything that contributes to achieving growth and prosperity for its people.Regarding the economic, investment, and trade co-operation between Qatar and Iraq, al-Awadi noted that the sixth session of the Joint Qatari-Iraqi Committee for Economic, Trade, and Technical Co-operation was held in Doha in December 2018.He said that the seventh session, which was scheduled for 2020 but was canceled due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, might be held in early 2024.The official said that during the sixth session of the Joint Qatari-Iraqi Committee, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs’s Diplomatic Institute and Iraq's ministry of foreign affairs’s Foreign Services Institute.An MoU was also signed between the Qatar Chamber and the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce, with an agreement to establish the Qatari-Iraqi Businessmen Council, was signed.On bilateral co-operation in the oil and gas sector, the Iraqi official said that there is a desire to enhance Qatari-Iraqi investments in the manufacturing and petrochemical industries.Al-Awadi expressed the Iraqi government's aspiration to increase Qatar's contribution to investment projects, especially in the Grand Faw Port, indicating that the government hopes that Iraq will turn into a transit country for the trade link between East and West.Concerning the issue of climate change, he said that climate change is a vital issue for Qatar and Iraq, and that there may be joint efforts to develop plans and strategies to combat climate changes affecting the two countries, the region, and the world.