Iraq PM calls for ending boycott of Saudi products

Newly appointed Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi called on Monday for ending a boycott by a number of Iraqi governorates of products from neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia.

“We urge some of the provinces that have boycotted products from neighboring states to end the boycott in order to develop the economic sector through regional cooperation, particularly with neighboring states,” he said during an interview on Iraq’s state television station.

“The boycott was right at the time but for every stage has circumstances and there is a new political environment and a new page has opened with these states,” he said.

Abadi said his call aimed at “completing the state’s infrastructure at the political and economic levels.”

A number of provincial councils, including Baghdad, Basra and Najaf, had taken a decision to boycott products from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar and gave merchants a month to get rid of the products without affecting the sale of basic commodities.

Meanwhile, a number of other governorates called for boycotting Iranina products, in protest of Tehran’s meddling in Iraqi affairs.