The visit of Iraqi President Barham Salih to Qatar underscores the keenness and determination of the leaderships of the two countries to enhance bilateral relations in all fields.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will meet Salih at the Amiri Diwan on Thursday for talks on bilateral relations and means of enhancing them.

The two leaders will also discuss a number of issues of common concern.

The Qatari-Iraqi relations are witnessing a new start, and the first step was on May 22, 2017 when the Amir sent a written message to the then Iraqi Prime Minister Dr

Haider al-Abadi, inviting him to visit Qatar.

The message was handed by HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani during a meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister in Baghdad.

During that meeting, the two sides discussed bilateral relations and means of enhancing them in various fields.

In a statement, the two sides stressed the need to remove all obstacles that come come in the way of relations between them and look forward to the future, not to think of the past, and open a new page.

The visit of HE Sheikh Mohamed to Iraq last November marked the beginning of another new era in the development of relations between the two countries, as it was the first visit of a Qatari official to Iraq after the formation of its new government.

It was also a sign that the two countries desired to develop co-operation by activating a memorandum of understanding signed between them, convening the Iraqi-Qatari committee meetings regularly, and contributing to the reconstruction of Iraq.

During that visit, HE Sheikh Mohamed met with senior Iraqi officials, and discussed with them bilateral relations in addition to issues of common concern.

He was accompanied by a high ranking delegation.

The Iraqi Ministry of Trade said that Iraq and Qatar agreed to activate economic and trade relations, restore channels of communication in all fields and begin holding meetings of the Iraqi-Qatari committee in Doha.

In recent statements, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamed al-Hakim affirmed the existence of co-operation between his country and Qatar, which includes reconstruction and investment, in addition to a project to transport goods from Turkey to Qatar through Iraqi territory.

Last April, a shipping line between Qatar and Iraq was launched during a visit by HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif al-Sulaiti to Iraq.

The new shipping line will transport goods from Jordan, Kuwait, Turkey and Iran through Iraqi territory to Qatar, which will be a new step in supporting relations between the two countries.