Iraq, Iran to up economic cooperation to $10b

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iranian First Vice President Parviuz Davoudi on Sunday said that Iran and Iraq will give a shot in the arm to their economic cooperation to hit $10 billion in 2010, according to an Iranian official TV station. “Cooperation will focus on the fields of energy, trade as well as Iraq reconstruction projects,” Davoudi said. Current estimations put economic cooperation between the two neighboring countries at $4 billion. The Iranian president’s comments came as Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is capping a two-day visit to Iran, his fourth to the Islamic republic since he took office in 2006. Maliki had left Baghdad on Saturday (Jan. 3) to Iran at the head of a delegation comprising a number of ministers on a two-day visit to the Islamic republic. He had met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Davoudi and other senior officials to discuss means to push forward bilateral relations and increase the volume of trade exchange between the two countries. AmR (P) 1