Iraqi and Bahraini officials are currently discussing the possibility of signing a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), to become effective by April 2002, reported Al-Rafidain. Iraq has already finalized an FTA with Yemen, which is expected to go into effect next month.
Iraq signed similar cooperative agreements with Syria and Tunisia and further deals are planned with Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco. Egypt and Iraq recently signed an agreement for bilateral cooperation in industry, trade and technical issues, reinforcing the previously signed FTA.
Trade between the two countries within the UN's oil-for-food program stands at some two billion dollars a year, and Egypt is currently Baghdad's third-largest trade partner after France and Russia. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
