🌍🤝 Iraq Advances Toward WTO Membership with ITC Support

THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE DISCUSSES WITH THE ITC THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS REGARDING IRAQ’S ACCESSION TO THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION AND ENHANCING TECHNICAL SUPPORT.

The Ministry of Trade announced today, Tuesday, that the Department of Foreign Economic Relations held a meeting with representatives of the International Trade Centre (ITC) to discuss the latest developments related to Iraq’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and ways to enhance technical cooperation to support this process.

A statement issued by the ministry’s media office, quoting the department’s director general, Riyadh Fakher Al-Hashemi, stated that the meeting discussed prospects for joint cooperation in reviewing the technical files prepared by the accession team in coordination with the technical committees emanating from the relevant national committee.

The statement emphasized the importance of the technical and technological support provided by the International Trade Centre, particularly during this critical phase, given its significant role in enhancing the efficiency of national teams and strengthening institutional readiness for accession requirements.

The meeting also addressed efforts to update the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) document, in coordination with sectoral bodies, in line with government policies aimed at integrating environmental and sustainability concepts into economic and trade policies.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Al-Hashemi stressed that the meeting was part of the department’s ongoing efforts to develop Iraq’s trade policy and enhance institutional and technical capabilities, supporting Iraq’s accession to the World Trade Organization and strengthening its presence in the multilateral trading system.

For their part, representatives of the International Trade Centre praised the progress made in the accession file and the level of coordination with the Department of Foreign Economic Relations, stressing their readiness to continue providing the necessary technical support to complete the accession requirements.