Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Dr. Tareq Al-Hammouri stressed the keenness of Jordan and Iraq to implement the agreements and joint economic understandings. 

This came during a meeting on Thursday in a dialogue session within the activities of the sixth Sulaymaniyah forum in Baghdad on the importance of economic relations between Jordan and Iraq and the prospects for their development in the light of the understandings that have been reached between them recently. 

"The Jordanian-Iraqi understandings establish an unprecedented economic cooperation between Jordan and Iraq and is considered an important breakthrough for achieving economic integration between them in many fields," Hamouri said, according to the ministry. 

He added that the two countries, keen to expedite the implementation of those understandings, agreements and memoranda of understanding reached in this regard, there is continuous follow-up to the progress of the necessary measures to implement and activate what has been agreed upon between the two sides, the most important of which is work on the establishment of a joint industrial zone on the border between the two countries, And the exemption of Jordan to imports Iraq through the port of Aqaba by 25 percent, as well as the exemption of Jordanian goods from customs duties when entering Iraqi territory as well as facilitate the movement of transport and land. 

Al-Hamouri affirmed that Jordan and His Majesty's leadership is putting all its resources at the service of the Iraqi brothers to enable them to overcome the consequences of the difficult circumstances they have experienced in recent years, including Jordanian expertise, especially in the area of free trade agreements and others. 

He noted the free trade agreements signed by Jordan with many countries at the bilateral and multilateral levels, especially the free trade agreement with the United States, which allowed the Jordanian exports to reach more than 1.5 billion consumers around the world, adding that the government continues its efforts to open more markets to Jordanian exports and enhance their competitiveness. 

Iraqi President Barham Salih praised the historic visit of King Abdullah II to Baghdad on January 14, 2019 and the economic understandings between the two countries. 

The Jordanian and Iraqi sides have made great strides in recent days to strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields, especially economic ones, and to work to overcome all obstacles that prevent the increase of bilateral trade and stimulate the establishment of investment projects. 

Al-Hamouri said that the two countries 'consensus is in their interest and will have a great impact on the two brotherly peoples and that the two countries' insistence on developing their economic and trade relations and achieving economic integration between them brought the two countries to these agreements. 

He added that what was achieved was not coincidental but was the result of a great effort and work during the last months between the two sides, where he held many meetings, visits and meetings between the officials of both sides, pointing to the continuation and periodicity of the two sides to solve any problems and obstacles that may face the mechanism of implementing agreements and understandings of the two countries about this. 

He stressed that the agreements will achieve great gains and benefits for the two brotherly countries, noting that the two sides have great determination to make the success of the agreement of the two countries and develop it to the best levels. 

The forum, which concludes on Thursday, addressed a number of important economic and political issues such as economic integration in the region, international policy towards Iraq, the political map, the future of energy in Iraq and other topics of interest to Iraqi affairs. 

The minister met with a number of Iraqi ministers and discussed with them the latest developments on the implementation of the agreements and memorandums of understanding and measures reached by the two sides on the second of last month with the aim of enhancing economic cooperation in various fields, especially trade and investment. 

He met with the Jordanian Ambassador in Baghdad, Dr. Montaser Al-Oqla, with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Fuad Hussein, Minister of Industry and Minerals Dr. Saleh Al-Jubouri, Minister of Commerce Mohammad Hashim Al-Ani and Minister of Health Dr. Alaa Alwan. 

The two sides agreed on the second of last month to activate the decision of the Iraqi Council of Ministers to exempt 393 Jordanian goods from customs and the allocation of land on the border of the Jordanian-Iraqi company and begin the procedures for the establishment of the joint Jordanian-Iraqi industrial zone. 

It was also agreed to carry out the technical studies necessary to develop suitable alternatives for the passage of the oil pipeline, which will extend from Basra to Aqaba, in addition to the consensus to determine the details of transportation and pricing for the export of Iraqi crude oil to Jordan. 

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, whereby the Jordanian side will be provided with 10,000 barrels per day of oil. 

Jordan returned some 1376 pieces of antiquities to the Iraqi side, which were seized by the Jordanian authorities at border posts following attempts to smuggle them out of Iraq. 

According to the agreement, the area will be set to a zero point between the two countries on an area of 2,000 acres can be expanded to 10 thousand acres, where the tender will be required for this project, which has significant economic gains on both countries. 

It was also agreed to facilitate the movement of land freight and allow trucks to enter the territory of each party.

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