Iraq and Russia signed four agreements and memorandums of understanding on Wednesday, aiming to strengthen bilateral cooperation across various sectors, particularly energy.

The agreements were finalized during the tenth session of the Russia-Iraq Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, and Scientific-Technical Cooperation in Baghdad.

The session was co-chaired by Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivliev, according to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

The signed deals include:

• An agreement on maritime transport
• A memorandum of understanding on health cooperation
• An MoU between the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation
• A protocol of understanding between Gazprom and the Iraqi Central Oil Company

At a joint press conference, Hussein emphasized the strong relations between Iraq and Russia, particularly in oil and gas. He noted that Russian companies have invested approximately $19 billion in Iraq’s oil sector.

Discussions also covered resuming oil exports from the Kurdistan Region to Turkiye. Iraq has lost over $23 billion since the 2023 halt of exports through the Turkish port of Ceyhan, following a ruling by the International Court of Arbitration in Paris. Officials recently confirmed that exports through Turkiye are set to resume soon.