TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Iraqi Deputy Premier Barham Saleh and Trade Minister Abd al-Falah al-Sudani arrived in Tehran Wednesday for a three-day diplomatic visit.
The delegation left Baghdad for meetings slated to include a variety of issues, include bilateral trade, at the official invitation of the Islamic Republic, Voices of Iraq reported.
The Iraqi Ambassador to Tehran, Mohamed Mequid al-Sheikh, said the two countries planned to establish a free-trade zone following the signing of a memorandum of understanding on trade relations Aug. 5.
Trade between Iran and Iraq rose from $1.5 billion in 2006 to $2.2 billion in 2007, Iran's Fars News Agency said. The ambassador said the free-trade agreement could bring bilateral trade to $3 billion by the end of the year.
The visit comes on the heels of a similar trade meeting between Iranian officials and Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani.
