Iraq to bolster trade with Lanka

To open trading centre in Baghdad:

Indunil Hewage

Iraq welcomes Sri Lanka’s cooperation and talented labour force to rebuild the nation in line with more development activities to be implemented in the years to come.

Addressing a media briefing at the Chamber of Commerce yesterday, Iraq Ambassador Kahtan Taha Khallaf Kali said Iraq aims at producing 11 million oil barrels per day in 2016 as against that of three million oil barrels produced per day at present.

“Further development of the oil industry and other activities in the economy would create more opportunities for Sri Lankans,” he said. Iraq will also be looking at reactivating bi-lateral relationship between Sri Lanka and Iraq in finance, political, social and other arenas for an enhanced and long-lasting rapport.

“There is a huge market for Ceylon tea in Iraq and you can’t imagine how many Iraqis are consuming Ceylon tea per day in our country.

We are hoping to open an Iraq- Sri Lanka trading centre in Baghdad shortly to overcome the problems faced by the both countries in trading activities”.

“The enthusiasm of Sri Lankan entrepreneurs to start ventures in Iraq is welcome and this will create more trade partnerships between Sri Lankan and Iraq private sectors in the future,” the Ambassador said.

Attention was mainly paid to promote Sri Lankan tea among Iraqis.

Sri Lanka Tea Board Promotion Deputy Director Upali Kahandawa said that promoting direct tea imports, encouraging the purchasing of pre-packed tea from Sri Lanka, minimize the involvement of intermediaries in purchasing Ceylon tea while appointing an international accredited agency to monitor the quality of tea will be needed to promote Ceylon tea imports by Iraq.