OREANDA-NEWS. President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation Sergey Katyrin has met with Iraqi Ambassador to Russia Ismail Mohsen.

The meeting, which was held at the CCI of Russia, was attended by Vice-President of the CCI of Russia Georgy Petrov, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Ties with Business Councils Vladimir Padalko, Deputy Chairman of the Russia-Iraq Business Council Sergey Popelnyukhov, Deputy Director of the Russian-Arab Business Council Vladislav Lutsenko, Director of the International Sales Department of JSC “Bashneft” Nikolai Seregin.

According to Sergey Katyrin, intensification of high-level Russian-Iraqi ties creates a good foundation for the development of bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Given an increase in Russian-Iraqi trade in recent years, Katyrin said, the two countries boast a solid potential for expanding cooperation at the regional level. To this end, it's important to promote information exchanges, help the companies that are working on the territory of Iraq and are interested in doing business in Iraq, support efforts of the Russia-Iraq Business Council and the Russian-Arab Business Council in Iraq.

Iraq's Ambassador to Russia Ismail Mohsen agreed with Sergey Katyrin. The Iraqi ambassador believes that the two countries' leaders have been demonstrating a political will for strengthening bilateral trade and economic ties. Two visits by the Iraqi prime minister to Russia serve as glaring evidence to support this point of view.

As before, energy cooperation, and oil production in particular, remain a promising area of bilateral cooperation. Russia's “LUKOIL” is developing West Qurna 2, one of Iraq's largest oil fields. Russia and Iraq boast mutually beneficial contracts in other sectors of the economy, including power engineering. The two countries signed a USD 4.2 billion-dollar defense and technology cooperation agreement in 2012, Ismail Mohsen said. In addition, they have been strengthening cultural and scientific ties. In conclusion, Ismail Mohsen made it clear that he would work to promote further mutually beneficial ties between Russia and Iraq.

Deputy Chairman of the Russia-Iraq Business Council Sergey Popelnyukhov informed Ismail Mohsen about the results of the Council's work over the past year.

Director of the International Sales Department of JSC “Bashneft” Nikolai Seregin told Ismail Mohsen about his company's prospects and plans for the Iraqi market.

As he summed up the outcome of the meeting, President of the CCI of Russia Sergey Katyrin underscored the remarkable contribution made by the Russia-Iraq Business Council to the development of bilateral trade and economic ties and confirmed the Chamber's readiness to add to a further strengthening of bilateral ties.