Shafaq News/ On Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani met with Turkish Minister of Trade, Omer Bolat, who is visiting Iraq with a large delegation.

Bolat is accompanied by a delegation of around 150 businesspeople from the Turkish Exporters Assembly and the Turkish Contractors Association, on a business trip that will cover both Baghdad and Basra.

According to a statement from Al-Sudani’s media office, the Prime Minister affirmed “Iraq’s openness to establishing a serious and genuine partnership with Turkiye in various fields, particularly as the Iraqi government has implemented a series of economic reforms that have enhanced the investment environment in the country.” He also highlighted the government's desire to improve the trade balance between the two countries, noting the “rapid growth” of Iraq's industry.

The meeting also discussed the upcoming session of the Iraqi-Turkish Economic and Trade Committee, which will convene in two weeks, the statement affirmed.

For his part, Bolat conveyed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s greetings to the Iraqi PM, emphasizing that “the strengthening relationship between the two countries presents an opportunity to advance the agreements made during President Erdogan’s visit to Iraq,” as per the statement. He further referred to the Development Road project, expressing Turkiye's readiness to provide “full support” for advancing this “vital” initiative for the region and the world.

On Sunday, a source in the Iraqi government told Shafaq News that Bolat will pay an official visit to Baghdad on Monday to continue discussions on the Development Road project, an initiative linking the Gulf, Iraq, Turkiye, and Europe.