Baghdad – WAA
Minister of Trade Athir Dawood Salman Al-Ghurairi confirmed today, Thursday, that Iraq’s accession to the World Trade Organization will contribute to stimulating economic growth, during his speech at the third negotiating meeting with the World Trade Organization in the Swiss city of Geneva.
The Ministry of Trade said in a statement received by the (INA): “The Minister of Trade and head of the team concerned with Iraq’s accession to the World Trade Organization headed the Iraqi side in the third negotiating meeting with the World Trade Organization, in the presence of the Deputy Director-General of the Organization, Zhang Xing Chen, head of the working team for Iraq’s accession, team members, and representatives of the WTO countries at the organization’s headquarters in Geneva.”
The minister pointed out – according to the statement – during a speech he delivered at the meeting, “the importance of Iraq being part of the rules-based multilateral trading system,” stressing that “we are happy with the convening of the third meeting of the working group after sixteen years have passed since the last meeting of the working group, which represents a fundamental step for us, government and people, on our way to joining, in addition to being a means through which we seek to achieve development and diversification of our national economy and our integration with the global economy.”
The Minister pointed out that “the Iraqi government is committed to its economic reform program by strengthening trade policy, improving the business environment, and creating favorable conditions for foreign investment,” indicating that “joining the World Trade Organization will contribute significantly to enhancing transparency, encouraging competition, and stimulating sustainable economic growth for Iraq.”
He continued, “The new Iraqi government, led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and within its government program, has set a clear vision for the future of economic liberalization in Iraq, which included setting timetables to achieve the liberalization process and focusing on sectors with high potential such as agriculture, industry and services, which stipulated supporting local and foreign investments, unifying customs policies on all borders and other measures to facilitate trade and investment and create investment opportunities.”
The Minister explained that “the government also attached special importance to aligning its trade policy and regulatory legislation with international capabilities, rules and standards and enhancing institutional capacities to effectively meet the requirements of the World Trade Organization.”