Top KSA-Iraq meet to explore areas of cooperation today

Saudi King Salman (R) talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi in Jeddah in this June 19, 2017 photo. Four months after the two leaders met, the Saudi-Iraq Coordinating Council is now ready to begin talks to firm up Saudi-Iraqi trade prospects. (Reuters

RIYADH: A meeting of the Saudi-Iraq Coordinating Council is set to begin at the headquarters of the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) here on Saturday.
Presentations on the KAPSARC and the Export Development Authority will be made during the maiden meeting ,which will be followed by cultural events and dinner.
On Sunday, the council will hold a meeting at Al-Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh, where officials from the two countries will explore areas of cooperation in the presence of ministers from the two countries and senior government officials.
A series of presentations highlighting the investment opportunities, will be made by organizations such as the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, SABIC and the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization.
The Saudi side will be led by Commerce and Investment Minister Majid Al-Qassabi, while the Iraqi team will be led by Sulaiman Al-Jumaili. Six other Iraqi ministers will also be part of the visiting delegation.
According to a statement to Arab News, the meeting aims to enhance communication between the two countries at the strategic level, deepen mutual political trust and open new horizons of cooperation in various fields including economic development, security, investment, tourism, culture and media.
In addition, important international and regional affairs, protection of common interests, development of partnerships between the private sectors of the two countries, cooperation in scientific research, exchange of visits, and participation in training programs will also be up for discussion during the meeting.
In a statement to our sister paper, Asharq Al-Awsat, Abdul Aziz Al-Shammari, charge d’affaires of the Saudi Embassy in Baghdad, said that the Saudi-Iraqi Coordination Council will cover all vital and important areas between the two countries — political, economic, commercial, security, cultural and others.
Al-Shammari stressed that this step is vital in boosting bilateral ties between Riyadh and Baghdad.
According to Sulaiman Al-Jumaili, who presided over the first meeting between the two sides, the council was formed following the recent visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi to the Kingdom.