Page 22 - IRANRptJun19

al-Hakim, said that Tehran wants the best possible relations with the Persian Gulf nations and would welcome any proposal for dialogue on achieving balanced relations and reducing tensions.
"Iran’s proposal to sign a non-aggression pact with the countries of the region is on the table," stated Zarif.
Iraq announced on May 21 that it was set to send delegations to Washington and Tehran to help “halt tensions” amid growing fears of a military confrontation between the US and Iran. Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies back US policy on Iran, including its sanctions attack against the Islamic Republic’s economy. However, after talks with Zarif, Ali al-Hakim insisted that Baghdad opposes "the unilateral measures taken by the United States. We do not like the patronising and the coercion imposed on our neighbour—Iran. We are standing side by side with the position of [our] neighbour—Iran".
Iraq is unusual and important in that it retains close ties with both Iran and the US.
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said last week that there were no Iraqi factions that wanted a push towards war. He spoke two days after a rocket fired in Baghdad landed in a neighbourhood in which the US embassy is located. Iran has rejected allegations of any involvement in that incident, or other incidents including attacks that damaged two Saudi and two other oil tankers in the Sea of Oman and a drone attack on an oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia claimed by the Iran-allied Houthi rebels who are fighting forces that include the Saudis in Yemen.
Iraq and Iran signed several preliminary trade deals on March 11, the first day of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s first official visit to the Islamic Republic’s neighbour. Iran hopes building ties with Iraq will help offset the impact of US sanctions on its economy.
A plan to build a railway linking the neighbouring countries and signed memoranda of understanding on oil, trade and health were presented by Rouhani and Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Mahdi. The railway is to link the southern Iraqi oil city of Basra and the Iranian border town of Shalamcheh. Moves to make it easier for businessmen and investors to obtain visas, and a measure making travel visas free of charge for pilgrims and other travellers were also set to emerge from Rouhani’s talks with Iraqi officials.
Rouhani said Shi’ite Muslim Iran was determined to strengthen ties with its Shi’ite-led Arab neighbour, Iranian state television reported.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter that the two countries were in discussions to create joint industrial zones. These would likely emerge near the Arvand Free Trade Zone in Iran which borders Iraq.
5.3 FDI
Iran FDI 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
FDI net inflows (BoP) (USD bn)
3.649 4.277 4.662 3.05 2.105 2.05 3.37
FDI net inflows (% of GDP)
0.749 0.733 0.778 0.653 0.485 0.531 0.805
FDI net outflows (% of GDP)
0.049 0.044 0.226 0.04 0.001 0.031 0.025
22 IRAN Country Report June 2019 www.intellinews.com