Baghdad: Baghdad is revitalizing investment and international trade initiatives in cooperation with the European Union. The Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce discussed with the European Union Mission in Iraq ways to enhance trade and economic cooperation between the two sides, with the participation of a number of representatives of Iraqi economic and governmental institutions.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Federation stated in a press release that an expanded meeting was held at the headquarters of the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce in Baghdad. The meeting was attended by the Federation’s President, Amer Al-Fahdawi, the European Union Ambassador to Iraq, Clemens Simetner, the Head of the Projects Department at the European Union Delegation, Wim Rimba, along with several officials and representatives of Iraqi governmental and economic institutions, and several officials and program directors from the European Union Delegation.
The statement explained that the meeting focused on strengthening the trade and economic partnership between private sector institutions and the government, developing joint cooperation with the European Union and international institutions, and accelerating commercial activity in Iraq. The aim was to attract foreign investment by highlighting investment projects.
It was further detailed that the discussions covered topics such as the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Iraq and the European Union, the National Investment Map, the “Jobs” project for private sector development, and Iraq’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in cooperation with the International Trade Centre (ITC). Other areas of discussion included commercial arbitration, business integrity, and corporate social responsibility in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The statement indicated that a range of future projects and initiatives were discussed, particularly in the areas of the digital economy, sustainable and smart cities, digital transformation, and private sector capacity-building programs for companies and entrepreneurs. These initiatives are designed to broaden Iraqi-European cooperation and strengthen Iraq’s move towards a more competitive and sustainable economy. The activation of the memorandum of understanding signed between the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce and the Association of European Chambers of Commerce (EUROCHAMBRES) was also mentioned, along with the enhancement of European participation in the Iraqi-European Business Forum, as part of the Iraqi National Trade and Investment Forum (INTF2026).
The statement emphasized that these initiatives aim to consolidate relations between the Iraqi and European business communities, open wider horizons for trade and investment cooperation, and develop partnerships between companies on both sides.