Abdolnaser Hemmati, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, traveled to Baghdad to negotiate with the Iraqi officials on unresolved financial claims and push for greater access for Iranian contractors in the country’s reconstruction drive.
In back-to-back meetings on Monday, Hemmati sat down with Finance Minister Faleh Sari to table specific technical proposals aimed at unlocking stalled payments owed to Tehran. While no figures were disclosed, the talks signal growing urgency on both sides to clear arrears that have weighed on bilateral monetary flows.
The discussions also zeroed in on leveraging Iranian engineering and construction expertise in Iraqi infrastructure projects—a sector where Iranian firms have long sought a stronger foothold amid post-war rebuilding efforts.
Earlier, Hemmati held separate talks with Trade Minister Mustafa Nizar al-Ani, where the focus shifted to trade logistics and banking ties. The governor called for new mechanisms to streamline cross-border procedures, particularly at entry points, and urged greater involvement from private-sector traders to boost non-oil exports.
Al-Ani responded by affirming Iraq’s commitment to resolving operational hurdles, though he stopped short of announcing concrete timelines. Both sides agreed to continue technical-level follow-ups, with the CBI framing the exchanges as a step toward “dignified” economic relations—a diplomatic nod to the sensitive political backdrop of Iran-Iraq commerce.
The visit, which began Sunday, comes as Iran seeks to deepen its economic lifeline with its western neighbor, even as international sanctions continue to complicate banking channels and hard-currency settlements.
