New Delhi: The National Security Advisors of India and Iraq have agreed to enhance defence cooperation and counter-terrorism efforts and strengthen security linkages between the two countries, officials said Friday.
National Security Adviser of Iraq Qasem Al-Araji is visiting India between March 22 and 25 at the invitation of NSA Ajit Doval.
The visit of the Iraqi NSA is the first cabinet minister-level visit from Iraq to India in the last seven years, the officials pointed out.
Qasem Al-Araji was earlier the minister of interior from 2016 to 2018. He has been the NSA since July 2020.
During the visit, both the NSAs had extensive dialogue on a vast area of mutual interest. Both sides discussed various aspects of ongoing bilateral cooperation.
They agreed to enhance defence cooperation, counter-terrorism efforts and strengthen security linkages. They also exchanged views on the recent developments in their respective regions, the officials said.
During the visit, the Iraqi NSA visited Bharat Electronics Limited and witnessed several examples of ‘Make in India’ initiative. He also interacted with various Indian defence industry leaders at an interaction organised by the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers.
The Iraqi delegation also visited Agra.
Iraq has been the largest supplier of oil to India since 2017 accounting for almost 25 per cent of New Delhi’s oil imports. Iraq is the fifth largest trade partner of India with imports from Iraq being pegged at $ 32 billion and exports at $ 2.4 billion. The total trade has been estimated at $ 34.40 billion.
Opportunities for Indian oil and gas companies in upstream, mid and downstream sectors are also considered vast.
In November-December 2018, India had organised an artificial limb fitment camp at Al Kafeel hospital in Karbala which was very well received. Prosthetic limbs or Jaipur Foot were provided to more than 600 amputees on charity basis. A second camp is being planned shortly, the officials said.
They said as per estimates, around 33,000 Iraqis travel to India, mostly for medical treatment. It is estimated that it fetches $ 170 million to Indian hospitals.
PTI