A meeting of Iranian and Iraqi economic activists was held at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Baghdad on Thursday, in the presence of Ghalibaf and members of the accompanying parliamentary delegation.
Emphasizing the important role of the private sector in developing Iran–Iraq relations, Ghalibaf said that some problems in this area have become institutionalized in both countries and should be addressed through joint meetings and by prioritizing issues for practical solutions.
He also stressed the need to utilize the expertise of skilled workers in border cities and develop a clear economic and trade roadmap between the two countries.
Referring to the relations between Iran and Iraq over the past five decades, the Parliament speaker added that a state of “neither war nor peace” and “both war and peace” should not become permanent.
Stressing the need to defend national dignity and interests, he said Iran is not seeking war, but diplomacy can be effective only when a country has the necessary capabilities and preparedness to defend itself.
Ghalibaf also described economic pressures and sanctions as part of economic warfare and stressed the need for planning to overcome them.
He said that military power alone is not sufficient without economic growth, national production and sustainable financial activity, emphasizing that security and the economy must be strengthened simultaneously.
The Parliament speaker described the use of national currencies in Iran–Iraq trade as one way to reduce dependence on the US dollar, saying that the two countries should take advantage of existing opportunities and move away from traditional trade practices.
Ghalibaf also stressed the need to remove obstacles such as difficulties related to guarantees for engineering services and to facilitate economic cooperation.
During the meeting, private-sector representatives from Iran and Iraq also raised banking, legal, and customs issues and called for the establishment of joint industrial parks, replacing the dollar with the Iraqi dinar and Iranian rial in bilateral trade, and cooperation in rebuilding areas affected by attacks.
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