On November 7 Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, announced that Doha was looking to expand trade and investment ties with Iraq. Local media reported that the two parties proposed greater maritime cooperation by establishing direct shipping lines and relationships between ports. The government visit to Baghdad followed the September 4 signing of a commercial and economic cooperation agreement with Turkey, intended to promote bilateral trade, particularly in the services and e-commerce sectors, and ease restrictions on investment. The Turkey deal also foresees the development of closer ties in Customs, research and development, and education, and builds on increasing trade between the two countries. Qatar-Turkey bilateral trade volumes increased from $835m in 2016 to $1.3bn last year, according to data issued by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the end of October. Meanwhile, two-way trade in the […]