SHANA � Visiting Iraqi Oil Minister Thamer al-Ghadhban expressed optimism for furthering cooperation between Iran and Iraq for the benefit of the two countries� nations.

Following a visit to the Energy Industries Engineering and Design (EIED, an affiliate to the Oil Industries' Engineering and Construction (OIEC)), the official hoped for advancing cooperation between the two OPEC members to meet the interests of their nations.

He said he had realized that EIED was a very capable complex involved in the implementation of engineering and design projects of oil, gas and petrochemical projects.

The Iraqi official further said he was pretty much impressed by learning about the size of the projects and achievements of EIED in the oil industry, saying EIED experts had exerted the greatest efforts in oil fields under the sanctions, which is �admirable�.

The visit was aimed at assessing methods and means for cooperation between the two neighbors subsequent to a recent state visit by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to Iraq.

He further said that Iraq had a company like EIED which could establish ties with its Iranian opposite number.