Iraqi-Lebanese MOU to strengthen agricultural cooperation

INA – BAGHDAD
 
Lebanese Minister of Agriculture, Abbas Hajj Hassan confirmed on Monday, that his country will sign a memorandum of understanding with Iraq on Tuesday, in the field of agriculture, on the sidelines of the Food and Agriculture Conference for the Near East and North Africa, held in Baghdad, while revealing the most prominent opportunities for cooperation with Iraq that are being worked on.
 
"The messages that the conference can send by the convening for the first time in Baghdad are that Iraq has recovered after its victories over terrorism," said Hassan in a statement to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
 
He pointed out that "Iraqi-Lebanese relations are rooted, and we will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Iraqi Minister of Agriculture that concerns both countries, specifically the Iraqi consumer, according to which Lebanese products will easily reach Iraq and Iraqi products will also reach smoothly to Lebanon, as we have eased all obstacles in order for there to be unity in agriculture that is reflected in political rapprochement,”
 
"Lebanon exports everything to Iraq from agricultural products. There are some products in which they compete, and Iraq is able to produce some of the items that are produced in Lebanon," he included, explaining that "We will work to find a clear agricultural calendar between the two countries that helps the Iraqi farmer and relieves the Lebanese farmer and vice versa. We aspire to be trade between the two countries, as well as cooperation, and we want to make it easier for our peoples because our suffering is one,”
 
He stressed that "there is cooperation in various fields with Iraq, including energy, and we aspire to have bilateral and quadripartite agreements with Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, and this needs maturation with the concerned ministers,"
 
“There are specific clauses in the memorandum of understanding that we will announce after signing the agreement between the two countries, and we are waiting for the signing to announce it," he included, calling on "all Arab countries to come to Iraq to establish and start with bilateral and tripartite agreements until reaching a real agricultural partnership, which will reflect positively on the political situation,"