A Jordanian government delegation is expected to leave for Iraq on Monday to discuss boosting trade, Jordan Times reported Sunday.
A cabinet official was quoted by the paper as saying that Minister of Trade and Industry Wasif Azar will head the delegation that includes Minister of Transport Mohammad Kalaldeh. The delegation will meet with senior Iraqi officials during their four-day visit.
"Our bilateral economic relations will be reviewed during the discussions," Azar told the Jordan Times.
"We will look into ways of improving trade relations and strengthen it at a time when our two countries maintain good political ties," the minister added.
He indicated that an issue the Jordanian delegation will tackle is Iraq's imports through the Kingdom's southern port of Aqaba.
Official figures, according to the daily, show that Jordanians export to Iraq in the first six months of the year amounted to 26.2 percent of its exports to the Arab world compared to 18 percent in 1999.
Whereas Jordan imports from Iraq amounted to 67.2 percent of its imports from Arab states, which amounts to JD290 million - Albawaba.com
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
