President Asif Ali Zardari met Iraqi President Dr Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid at Baghdad Palace on Sunday, a statement from the Presidency said.
The president, who is expected to meet senior Iraqi leadership during the trip, arrived in Iraq on Saturday night, where he was received by Iraq’s Culture Minister, Ahmed Fakkak Al-Badrani, upon his arrival in Baghdad.
According to the statement, President Zardari received a guard of honour upon his arrival at the palace, where he was scheduled to have lunch and a one-on-meeting with his Iraqi opposite number. The pair expressed satisfaction over growing diplomatic momentum from high-level exchanges.
“The president noted that current levels of bilateral trade do not reflect the true potential of Pakistan-Iraq economic, cultural and security relations,” the statement read.
“He highlighted opportunities for expanding trade, investment, agriculture and defence production sectors, besides information technology, construction, pharmaceuticals and related industries.”
President Zardari underscored the importance of business-to-business engagement, reciprocal business delegations and the establishment of direct banking channels to facilitate trade and commercial activity, the Presidency stated.
During the meeting, President Zardari also requested improved facilitation for Pakistani pilgrims visiting Iraq and was hopeful that the proposed memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Zaireen management would be finalised and implemented soon.
It aims to ensure orderly travel and address longstanding issues related to religious visits, the Presidency added.
