Iran, Iraq ink deals to enhance joint energy ties
Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad and Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs Hayan Abdul-Ghani al-Sawad signed on Monday agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to enhance their countries’ cooperation in the fields of oil and gas.
Paknejad and Sawad inked the documents in an official meeting in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad as they discussed the prospects of the development of joint cooperation in energy sectors between the two sides and the exchange of expertise and investment.
“There are favorable grounds for cooperation between the two countries of Iran and Iraq. In the oil sector, considering such commonalities, we have started activities. Some of these activities relate to the memorandums of understanding that were previously signed between the two countries, and during this visit, we took steps to implement these memorandums,” Paknejad said on the sidelines of the meeting, pointing to cultural, religious and historical commonalities between the two neighbors.
The Iraqi deputy minister, for his part, said his country has promising gas investment projects and is working to achieve self-sufficiency in petroleum derivatives.
“Iraq strives to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of oil derivatives and seeks to develop technical and investment cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Sawad said.
Paknejad expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and visit to Iraq, as well as the deep cultural relations between Tehran and Baghdad.
The Iranian minister underscored the importance of continuing relations between the two countries in all fields.
The Iranian side also secured a contract to convert flare gas from Iraqi oilfields into feedstock for petrochemical plants located near its border with the Arab country.
Paknejad started his two-day visit on Monday at the invitation of his Iraqi counterpart.
He is scheduled to meet the Iraqi ministers of oil and electricity, in addition to the prime minister.
Upon arrival, Paknejad paid tribute to the memorial site of General Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).
Soleimani, Muhandis and their companions were assassinated in a US drone strike near Baghdad’s International Airport on January 3, 2020.