Finance Minister Hands Over A Message From Prime Minister To The Saudi Crown Prince

Baghdad / NINA /- Iraq and Saudi Arabia held a session of talks that witnessed handing over a message by Finance Minister Ali Abdul-Amir Allawi from Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi addressed to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Iraqi embassy in Riyadh stated in a statement that NINA received a copy of it that the Minister of Finance, the acting Minister of Oil had arrived in Riyadh as an envoy of the Prime Minister, and he was received by Mohammed Abdullah Al-Jadaan, the Saudi Minister of Finance, Majid bin Abdullah bin Othman Al-Qasabi, the Saudi Minister of Trade, head of the Saudi side in the Iraqi-Saudi Coordination Council, Abd al-Rahman al-Harbi, head of the General Authority for Foreign Trade, and the Iraqi ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Qahtan Taha Khalaf. It added that a discussion session was held between the two sides, during which a message was sent from Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi addressed to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and cooperation between the two countries and mechanisms for its activation were also reviewed. It pointed out that the Iraqi side stressed that the government is serious in developing bilateral relations with the Kingdom, and that there is an eagerness from the Prime Minister to activate cooperation in all fields between the two countries at a faster pace to ensure the achievement of economic returns. The embassy continued that the two sides confirmed that the opening of Arar crossing between the two countries is a key factor in achieving a breakthrough in the fields of economic and investment cooperation between the two countries. For his part, the Saudi Ministers of Finance and Trade affirmed that the Kingdom’s leadership represented by King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have a steadfast approach to developing relations in all fields with Iraq, and they expressed the Kingdom’s readiness to open up to Iraq and open the horizon of economic, commercial and financial cooperation between the two countries, pointing out that the Saudi private sector with its capabilities has the desire to enter the Iraqi market and invest in Iraq in a way that benefits both countries. It was agreed to continue holding the bilateral meetings with the aim of evaluating the stages of cooperation and their development between the two countries. The embassy clarified that the Minister of Finance met with the Saudi Energy Minister Abdul-Aziz bin Salman, as the two sides discussed oil cooperation between the two countries and the possibility of benefiting from Saudi goods, the global position of oil prices in light of the drop in prices due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the importance of adhering to the OPEC + Russia agreement, and reducing production to ensure achievement the balance between supply and demand in the oil market and access to fair prices for producers. The two sides stressed the importance of continued positive communication between the two countries in unifying the oil policy to ensure market stability and encouraging the rest of the producing countries to commit to reducing production to ensure an increase in oil prices and in a way that achieves stability in oil prices. The embassy also indicated that Allawi met with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and a number of ministry officials, as the two sides affirmed the depth of brotherly relations between the two countries, and the Iraqi government's willingness to strengthen relations with the Kingdom and coordinate positions on Arab and international issues of common concern. For his part, Farhan expressed Saudi support for the government of Iraq and its efforts to overcome the plight of terrorism, expressing the kingdom's readiness to support Iraq in all fields in a way that guarantees the return of security and economic prosperity. / End