|
Iraq keen to import
food grains
KARACHI - Iraq is keen to upgrade trade relations and make
Pakistan one of the main supplier of food grains as well as
equipment needed to rehabilitate its economy.
This was stated by Iraq's Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Dr
Basil Dalali during his visit to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB)
on Friday.
The Iraqi minister is heading a seven-member delegation who is
currently on a six days visit to Pakistan for exploring closer
cooperation in the field of agriculture, higher education of
bio-technology, material sciences, IT and computer software
developments and plasma physics.
After taking a round of the EPB's display centre located at
the ground floor of FTC building, Dr Basil Dalali held a
meeting with Minister for State and Chairman EPB Tariq Ikram.
While expressing his satisfaction over the improved trade
relations between the two countries for the last two years Dr
Dalali said that Iraq would like to extend links with Pakistan
in other areas and explore avenues for bilateral trade
enhancement.
"We need to send Iraqis for training to Pakistan as his
government is willing to enhance and upgrade trade relations
with Pakistan," Dr Basil Dalali said.
The Iraqi minister said it is heartening to see Pakistan is
becoming wheat exporting country and Iraq, besides wheat would
like to import rice, pumps for agriculture products, tractors,
generators, GI pipes, spare parts and a host of other products
to rehabilitate its economy.
The Iraqi delegation members also showed keen interest for
importing pharmaceutical products, including vaccines,
veterinary products, pesticides etc.
Responding to their request the EPB chairman said Pakistan's
potential for the supply of pharmaceutical products is
enormous and it could easily meet Iraq's requirement.
Tariq Ikram said that Pakistan would become a major supplier
of wheat to Iraq as 500,000 tons of wheat would be supplied in
the next months which would help carry the trade volume with
Iraq to nearly $100 million in phases.
He said Pakistan had supplied 100,000 tons of wheat to Iraq in
the past and another 35,000 tons would be supplied to Iraq
shortly for which prices have been finalized.
In 1999 Pakistan's exports to Iraq stood at only $2 million
but the same has risen to $16 million in the year 2000-01,
while contracts worth $60 to $70 million have been signed with
Iraq.
The meeting also discussed increase in quota for Pakistani
rice in the Iraqi market and the possibility of CKD assembly
of tractors in Iraq.
courtesy Daily Dawn , 6
April, 2002
|
Pakissan.com;
|
