Omani-Iraqi Joint Committee Meeting Kicks off

The deliberations of the 8th session of the Omani-Iraqi Joint Committee, kicked off at City Seasons Hotel here on Monday . During the two days’ meetings , the two sides will discuss the existing cooperation between the two brotherly countries in the different economic, investment, commercial and scientific fields, as well as means of boosting them in a way that serves the joint interest. The Omani side at the Committee is chaired by Undersecretary of the Transport and Communications Ministry Eng. Salim bin Mohammed al-Nuaimi, and the Iraqi side is chaired by Undersecretary of the Iraqi Finance Ministry Dr. Fadhil Nabi Othman, with participation of the members of the committee from both countries. During their meetings, they will also discuss a number of issues, such as encouraging and facilitating the access of the Omani products to the Iraqi market, exploring the joint investment opportunities, developing the investment laws, removing the double taxation, activating the technical cooperation in roads, transport, ports, railway, air navigation, meteorology sectors and activating the Omani-Iraqi Joint Business Council. Effective means of enhancing the academic cooperation between public and private higher education institutions in both countries, cooperation in the field of equalizing certificates issued by higher education institutions in both countries, in addition to continuing cooperation in agriculture, sports, media and electricity fields, will also be taken up. It is worth to mention tht the trade exchange statistics between the Sultanate and Iraq showed that the trade volume rose from RO.15,547,500 in 2006 to RO.63,194,000 in 2010 . The statistics also showed that the trade balance is in favor of the Sultanate as the Omani origin products have constituted the bulk of the value of imports of the Sultanate to the Republic of Iraq including, chemical, industrial, mineral and food products.