Jordan, Iraq to set up joint industrial zone, trade committee

AMMAN - 11 September 2017: Jordan and Iraq agreed on Sunday to establish a joint industrial zone on the border between the two countries, and asked companies on both sides to promptly put in place their visions about implementation, Jordan's news agency Petra reported.

During a meeting in Amman co-chaired by Jordanian Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yaroub Qudah and Iraqi Minister of Industry and Minerals Mohammad Shia' Al Sudani, the two sides also agreed to form a joint Jordanian-Iraqi trade committee chaired by the minister of industry, trade and supply and the Iraqi minister of trade to follow up on the implementation of the free trade agreement that went into effect on March 15, 2013.

They also reviewed the list of Jordanian commodities that will be exempted from Iraqi customs fees.

Qudah said that today's meeting was the fifth between the two sides in less than a year, adding that it reflects the keenness of the two countries to further cement bilateral cooperation in various fields.

The meeting, he added, was to follow up on what had been agreed upon during a meeting of the joint Jordanian-Iraqi committee in Baghdad last March.

The minister said Jordan would place its economic expertise at the service of the Iraqi side, mainly in developing the industry and supporting small-and-medium sized projects as well as exports.

The Iraqi minister said his country is also keen to further promote its economic relations with Jordan through increasing trade exchange, especially after the reopening of the Turaibeel border crossing, and work to set up investment projects.