Baghdad imports French sugar through Syrian port
Iraq-Syria, Business, 7/3/1998

Iraqi minister of Trade Muhammad Mahdi Saleh has unveiled a contract he signed with the Syrian government according to which Baghdad will import 100,000 tonnes of sugar through the Syrian port of Tartous.

Saleh added that a Syrian industrial delegation, especially from the pharmaceutical sector, will soon visit Iraq to discuss exporting Syrian products to Iraq according to the oil-for-food contract signed between Iraq and the UN. He said a Syrian delegation from the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade will head for Baghdad to discuss means of exporting foodstuffs, including wheat and lentils.

Talks Saleh held talks in Damascus with Syrian Deputy Premier for Economic Affairs Salim Yassin, and with the ministers of economy and foreign trade, health and transport. The result was an agreement between the two sides providing for Iraqi purchases of quantities of Syrian foodstuffs, especially cheese, in hopes of doubling Syria's share of contracts under the oil-for-food agreement, which was previously estimated at US $100 million. The Iraqi minister noted the promotion of Syrian products witnessed by the Iraqis, adding that advertisements of Syrian products cover half of the time allotted for advertisers on Iraqi television.

The Iraqi minister was careful to stress that, "There are no deliberate Iraqi negative stances towards Saudi Arabia," in remarks on Baghdad's recent refusal to accept Saudi aid. He elaborated that the "Iraqi Cabinet has adopted a decision not to accept material aid from any country whatsoever." He added that the decision coincided with the Saudi decision to dispatch aid to Iraq." He reminded that his country, then, apologized for not accepting several aid proposals from Arab and foreign delegations.

He welcomed any Arab delegation to visit Iraq to carry out surgical operations.

Meanwhile, Syrian businessmen complained about UN intervention on item 20 of the oil-for-food agreement, which provides for permitting private-sector exporters to sign contracts with Iraqi traders to export items that do not contradict with the embargo list of the UN committee concerning Iraq. Officials at the Damascus Chamber of Commerce stressed that the UN refused to approve the export of Syrian textiles to Iraq.

Previous Stories:
  Syria's help to Iraqi people underlined   (7/1/1998)
  Syrian - Iraqi oil pipelines maintained   (7/1/1998)
  Syria denies free zone for commodity exchange with Iraq   (4/24/1998)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search