Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein Chairs Ninth Meeting of Ministerial Council for Economy for 2025

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mr. Fuad Hussein chaired the ninth meeting of the Ministerial Council for Economy on Monday 17 March 2025. The meeting  was held at the Council headquarters with the attendance of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning, the Ministers of Trade, Agriculture, and Industry, the Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, the Governor of the Central Bank, the Chairman of the Securities Commission, the Oil Ministry Undersecretary, the Vice Chairman of the National Investment Commission, and the Prime Minister’s Advisor for Economic Affairs.

The Council discussed the items on its agenda and took the necessary decisions regarding them. As it decided to assign the Ministry of Health to submit a report on claims made by some Turkish companies regarding outstanding financial dues owed to them by the Ministry, and to coordinate with the Ministry of Finance regarding these claims, provided that the dues are based on completed work and approved by the Ministry of Health.

As part of the annual review of the decision to prevent the importation of juices, soft drinks, and pastries, the Ministerial Council for Economy recommended that the Council of Ministers extend the decision for an additional six months. The Council also called on local producers to submit applications to protect covered national products, in accordance with the amended Iraqi Products Protection Law No. (11) of 2010. It also directed the Ministry of Trade to follow up on the registration of companies importing food products, and ensure that suppliers from outside Iraq are accredited and committed to health standards, and implement strict inspection and control systems.

The Council also decided to hold a workshop, including the Economic Department of the foreign ant trade ministries, in addition to the relevant ministries to study the TIFA agreement and discuss mechanisms to deal with the new U.S. administration, taking into consideration the national interest and within the framework of shared interests, particularly with regard to the Strategic Framework Agreement between Iraq and the United States of America.