Turkey seeks to double trade with IraqJanuary 19, 2012 - 17:15 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey wants to more than double trade with Iraq this year, Ankara's economy minister said at a trade forum, amid recent tensions between the two neighbours. "Our trading relationship is developing day by day and the volume of bilateral trade last year was $12 billion (9.4 billion)," Zafer Caglayan said in Arbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region. "We want this figure to reach between $20 billion or $30 billion in 2012." At the forum, attended by around 150 businessmen representing 70 Turkish companies, Caglayan called for greater Iraqi investment in Turkey, according to AFP. "We do not want to interfere in the affairs of other countries after the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq," Caglayan said, amid accusations from Baghdad that Turkey, by voicing concern over a domestic political crisis, was meddling in Iraqi internal affairs. "We do not want to plunge Iraq into crisis after the destruction it has suffered. We are concerned about the stability and security of Iraq." Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Pashinyan visits flood-hit region Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, June 8 visited the disaster area in the Lori province. €3.5 mln EU grant to support justice reforms in Armenia The European Union has paid €3.5 mln grant to Armenia within a €11mln program on Support to Justice Reforms. Yerevan reacts to Baku’s proposal to see Minsk Group abolition Alen Simonyan has declared that Armenia is taking steps aimed at concluding a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. |