On Monday, Iraqi Minister of Trade Atheer Al-Ghurairi announced that discussions for Iraq to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) have resumed after a 16-year pause.
The Trade Ministry stated that Iraqi negotiating teams began preparatory meetings at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, in anticipation of the third meeting to discuss Iraq’s accession.
At the 13th Ministerial Conference of the WTO in Abu Dhabi last February, Al-Ghurairi confirmed that Iraq had met the necessary conditions for WTO membership through economic reforms and improvements in the investment climate.
Al-Ghurairi noted that Iraq had completed the integration of goods and services into the international trade system according to set deadlines.
Iraq initially expressed interest in joining the WTO in 2004, seeking to regain its status as a key player in the global economy by becoming part of the multilateral international trade system.
Al-Ghurairi emphasized that the conference highlighted the importance of WTO membership and conveyed a strong message about the benefits of joining the organization.
The Iraqi government is focused on expanding its global commercial and economic ties to create new opportunities for international collaboration.
