Baghdad, The Indian Embassy in Baghdad celebrated the 74th Republic of India Day, emphasizing the importance of strengthening relations between the two countries.
The ceremony was attended by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Planning, Ambassador Hisham Al-Alawi, and a number of officials and representatives of diplomatic missions.
Indian Ambassador Prashant Besai said, “This event is gaining significance for two important reasons – firstly, India has completed 75 years of independence, and secondly, we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Iraq.
He added: Iraq and India share close civilized relations, and they enjoy friendly bilateral relations. Our maritime links with Iraq date back to ancient times. We are pleased that our friendship with the Iraqi government and people is getting stronger day by day. We share common values and are committed to the same national and international goals.
He continued: Iraq is the largest supplier of crude oil to India. India is a preferred destination for medical treatment for many Iraqis. Many Iraqi and Indian students study in both countries. India stands shoulder to shoulder with Iraq in the reconstruction programme. We look forward to working with the government headed by Prime Minister Mohamed Shiaa Al-Sudani in areas such as trade, investment, infrastructure, health, defense, security, science and technology.
He explained: We are ready to share our expertise in the field of information and communication technology, including the latest technologies of the next generation.
For his part, Ambassador Al-Alawi stressed: Iraq and India were among the first countries to adopt the principles of non-alignment, as Iraq and India are among the founding countries of the Non-Aligned Movement, which reflected the struggle of peoples and their quest to move away from the policy of axes.
In the field of relations between our two friendly countries, he said, the governments of Iraq and India seek to expand bilateral cooperation at various levels according to solid foundations, based on the great capabilities that the two countries have, especially in the economic and industrial fields, advanced technology, human resources, and natural resources.
He continued: In the field of economic cooperation, the volume of trade exchange between the two countries in the year 2022 exceeded (30) billion dollars, making India the second largest trading partner for Iraq after China, and work is continuing between the Iraqi and Indian government agencies to raise the volume of trade exchange to greater numbers, and diversify Sectors covered by commercial exchange.
On the political level, Al-Alawi said: We are looking forward to holding a round of political consultations between the foreign ministries of Iraq and India next month, which will be at the level of undersecretaries of the Foreign Ministries of the two countries. The current year will also witness the holding of the meetings of the 18th session of the Iraqi-Indian joint committee during the second quarter of this year 2023 in the capital, New Delhi, which will provide an opportunity to discuss ways to develop bilateral relations in several areas after it was delayed during previous years due to the great effects of the Corona pandemic. It is also expected that many memorandums of understanding will be signed in various fields between the two countries.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency