Economy Minister Amer Bisat and his Iraqi counterpart, Athir Daoud Salman, signing the agreements reached by the Lebanese Iraqi joint commission in Baghdad, on Sept. 18, 2025. (Credit: NNA)
The second session of the Lebanese Iraqi joint commission, held in Baghdad, led to more than eight agreements between the two countries, said Mohammad Abou Haidar, director general of the Economy Ministry, confirming to L'Orient-Le Jour information reported by the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
The agreements cover several areas — mainly economy and justice — and lay the groundwork for broader strategic cooperation. Economy Minister Amer Bisat, who headed the Lebanese delegation, said convening the commission after years of interruption was “a step forward toward establishing a concrete partnership.”
Abou Haidar noted that the previous session was 10 years ago and that preparations to reactivate the commission were carried out by his department and his Iraqi counterpart.
“We started working on this project with our Iraqi partners six or seven months ago, shortly after the formation of Nawaf Salam's government. The Lebanese and Iraqi economy ministers, including Athir Daoud Salman, submitted the file to Cabinet, which approved it over the summer,” he said.
“Holding this session and signing these agreements and memorandums of understanding strengthen the relationship between Lebanon and Iraq, serving the common interests of the two brotherly peoples, according to the directives of our heads of state, President Joseph Aoun and Iraqi President Abdellatif Rached,” Bisat added.
Prisoners and investments
The session took place during the day, after which Bisat returned to Beirut for the Cabinet session on the 2026 budget.
The commission announced the following decisions:
- An agreement on the transfer of prisoners serving sentences.
- A memorandum of cooperation in the industrial sector.
- A cooperation agreement between the chambers of commerce unions of both countries.
- An economic and commercial memorandum of understanding to boost exchanges between the public and private sectors and develop exports.
- A memorandum of cooperation for international and specialized exhibitions.
- An agreement on investment cooperation.
- A memorandum on the transport of passengers and goods.
- A memorandum for mutual recognition of seafarers’ certificates.
Other agreements were approved for submission to the appropriate bodies for ratification at the third session, scheduled to be held in Beirut in 2026, according to the NNA.
Iraq, which welcomed Lebanese people fleeing Israeli airstrikes during the war between Israel and Hezbollah last year, already cooperates with Lebanon in the energy sector, notably through a fuel supply deal for Electricite du Liban (EDL).
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