Iraqi PM orders resumption of trade exchanges with Iran
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi has ordered trade exchanges with Iran to be resumed in Mandali and Shalamcheh border markets, Head of Iraq's Border Ports Authority Omar Al-Waeli announced.
Al-Waeli added that accordingly, 250 shipments from Iran will enter Iraq daily for two days a week through the Shalamcheh border in Basra and Mandali in Diyala province.
Preventive measures against coronavirus should be taken in health departments of the two provinces to ensure the safety of workers and incoming goods, he said.
The official reiterated that only goods exchanges are permissible and passengers will never be allowed to enter the border crossings.
In mid-June, the Iraqi government agreed to reopen Zarbatiyeh (Mehran) border crossing to import goods from Iran for two days a week, and trade is currently underway at that border crossing.
Iraq's Border Ports Authority closed border crossings with Iran and its neighbors in mid-March to prevent the outbreak of the coronavirus.
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