Baghdad: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning, Dr. Mohammed Ali Tamim, engaged in a significant dialogue with the Italian Ambassador to Iraq, Nicola Fontana, to explore avenues for developing bilateral relations and address several common issues.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the meeting underscored the Iraqi government’s commitment to strengthening and expanding bilateral relations with Italy across various sectors, with a particular emphasis on economic, trade, and investment cooperation. Dr. Tamim highlighted the importance of resolving past issues and fostering a fresh chapter of relations grounded in mutual trust.

A key topic of discussion was the unresolved contracts with Italian companies from the early 1980s and the financial obligations Iraq incurred due to the non-implementation of these contracts. The dialogue aimed at finding solutions to these longstanding issues.

The Italian Ambassador, Nicola Fontana, conveyed Italy’s readiness to advance bilateral cooperation. He emphasized the interest of Italian companies in investing in Iraq and their eagerness to broaden the scope of cooperation in the near future.