Iran, Iraq discuss extensive ICT ties

“According to the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Iran and Iraq shall increase cooperation in providing a quality communication network to the pilgrims for the proper convention of the Arbaeen ceremony,” Hashemi said referring to the 40th day of mourning following Ashura, the religious ritual commemorating martyrdom of the third Shia Imam, Hussain ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), in 680 AD in Karbala Desert in Iraq.

He pointed out the cultural and religious bonds between the two countries and said, “Tehran and Baghdad have been cooperating for years in the field of broadband for the proper holding of the Arbaeen ceremony as a result of which the communication infrastructure in this ceremony has a good quality.”

Hashemi said increasing the cooperation in the field of providing a quality network for Arbaeen pilgrims was a necessary step in improving the communication between Arbaeen pilgrims and their families and their greater satisfaction, which shall be on the agenda of both countries.

E-government experience transfer

 The Iranian minister also referred to the cooperation with Iraq in the field of smart government and cyber security and said the transfer of experience in this regard was another area of cooperation with Iraq.

He referred to the plans of the Ministry of Information Communication Technology in Iran for the development of new technologies, specially artificial intelligence, and said serious planning has been carried out in Iran so that the capacity of such technologies can be tapped.

“We can cooperate with Iraq in this area as well,” Hashemi added, “Joint investment in the field of international transit, marine fiber cables and the establishment of large data centers in Iran are the right and proper areas for cooperation between the two countries.”

In the meeting, the Iraqi envoy in Iran Naseer Abdul Mohsen Abdullah referred to the strong and extensive ties between the two countries.

“High-ranking officials of the two countries have stressed that exchanges between Iran and Iraq should reach $20 billion per year. Part of these exchanges will be related to the field of information and communication technology, which we are trying to achieve.”

He said artificial intelligence, cyber security and communication infrastructure in Iraq are among the areas in which there is a need for joint cooperation with neighboring Iran.

The Iraqi ambassador also pointed to the travel of 8 to 10 million Iranian pilgrims to Iraq and 3 to 4 million Iraqi pilgrims to Iran annually and said, “This volume of exchange requires a special cooperation that must be carried out between the two countries.”