logo
Iraq, Iran explore activation of educational memorandum to enhance vocational sector

Iraq, Iran explore activation of educational memorandum to enhance vocational sector

Iraqi News13-04-2025
Baghdad –INA
Minister of Education Ibrahim Namis al-Jubouri held high-level discussions on Sunday with the Cultural Counselor of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Embassy in Baghdad, Sheikh Aba Dhar al-Halfi, focusing on the operationalization of a bilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at advancing educational cooperation—particularly within the vocational training sector.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry and received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the meeting took place at the Ministry of Education headquarters in Baghdad and was attended by key ministry officials, including Majid Abdullah, Director General of Cultural Relations; Duraid Hayali, Director General of Educational Planning; and Ali al-Baidar, Director of Cultural Exchange.
The deliberations centered on establishing effective frameworks and actionable strategies for implementing the MoU, with an emphasis on bolstering vocational education as a conduit for deeper bilateral educational collaboration and international engagement.
Both parties reviewed potential joint initiatives and outlined a series of pragmatic, forward-looking projects aimed at revitalizing Iraq's vocational and technical education landscape.
The Iranian delegation extended an official invitation to Minister al-Jubouri to visit the Islamic Republic in the near future, to witness firsthand Iran's educational advancements and to facilitate the exchange of expertise and institutional knowledge between the two nations.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Foreign currencies rise in al-Sulaymaniyah
Foreign currencies rise in al-Sulaymaniyah

Shafaq News

time3 hours ago

  • Shafaq News

Foreign currencies rise in al-Sulaymaniyah

Shafaq News – Al-Sulaymaniyah On Thursday, foreign currency rates in Kurdistan Region's al-Sulaymaniyah inched higher amid continued market volatility. Shafaq News correspondent reported that the US dollar was trading at 140,550 Iraqi dinars per $100, the euro at 161,500 dinars per €100, and the British pound at 185,000 dinars per £100. The equivalent of $100 was also recorded at 8,650,000 Iranian tomans, 3,950 Turkish liras, and 1 million Syrian pounds. This modest increase comes as traders await government and banking measures to curb currency swings and stabilize Iraq's financial market, which has faced sharp fluctuations in recent months due to Central Bank restrictions on foreign transfers, regional economic pressures, and shifts in local supply and demand.

Iraq's al-Sadr rejects missile displays during Arbaeen
Iraq's al-Sadr rejects missile displays during Arbaeen

Shafaq News

time7 hours ago

  • Shafaq News

Iraq's al-Sadr rejects missile displays during Arbaeen

Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraqi Patriotic Shiite Movement (Sadrist) Leader Muqtada al-Sadr condemned, on Thursday, the display of missile replicas in religious shrines during the Arbaeen pilgrimage, one of the world's largest annual Shiite gatherings commemorating the martyrdom of the third Shia Imam Hussein bin Ali. 'Militarizing shrines is forbidden,' Al-Sadr said in a brief handwritten note circulated by media outlets linked to his movement. His remarks came after videos surfaced showing pilgrims making missile-launch gestures—apparently referencing recent Iranian strikes on Israel—and exhibits inside the Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala featuring missile models widely interpreted as symbols of Iranian military power. The controversy coincided with an unannounced visit by Iranian officials to Iraq. Earlier this week, Israeli Army Spokesperson Avichay Adraee denounced the displays, alleging they glorify attacks by Iran's regional proxies 'who have suffered repeated defeats over the past two years.' Al-Sadr has long opposed pulling Iraq into regional conflicts, frequently clashing with Iran-backed factions. In June, he called for keeping Iraq out of the Iran–Israel confrontation, but accused Israel of crossing red lines with US support, warning that Iran might not be the last target if tensions continue to escalate.

Iraqi–Iranian Security MoU rekindles a decade of border deals—and old controversies
Iraqi–Iranian Security MoU rekindles a decade of border deals—and old controversies

Shafaq News

time7 hours ago

  • Shafaq News

Iraqi–Iranian Security MoU rekindles a decade of border deals—and old controversies

Shafaq News – Baghdad A new security memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Iraq and Iran has reignited debate over sovereignty, parliamentary oversight, and Iraq's vulnerability to regional rivalries. Signed on Tuesday under the auspices of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, the document upgrades an earlier security record into a broader agreement between National Security Advisor Qassem al-Araji and his Iranian counterpart Ali Larijani. Objectives and Security Provisions According to a senior Iraqi security source, the MoU aims to strengthen border protection, address the presence of Iranian opposition groups in the Kurdistan Region, and prevent the emergence of a PKK-style model in Iraq's frontier districts. It establishes mechanisms for intelligence sharing, joint patrols, counter-narcotics coordination, and monitoring ISIS movements along roughly 1,450 kilometers of border, about 600 kilometers of which lie inside the Kurdistan Region. Al-Araji said the accord builds directly on the March 2023 border security agreement, calling it its 'foundation.' That earlier deal focused on tightening control along the Kurdistan Region frontier, where Tehran has accused armed dissidents of staging cross-border attacks. Parliamentary Oversight and Political Reactions Kareem Abu Souda, a member of the parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, criticized the absence of legislative review, noting that the Council of Representatives had not been informed due to its current suspension. He told Shafaq News the committee 'rejects any external interference outside the framework of formal agreements,' and insisted any pact 'must be presented to Parliament in line with constitutional procedures.' Security expert Sarmad al-Bayati described the MoU as mutually beneficial for border management and threat reduction, linking it to the 2023–2024 withdrawal of armed Iranian opposition factions from Iraq. 'The memorandum does not contain secret clauses,' he stressed. MP Mukhtar al-Moussawi of the Foreign Relations Committee called Iran Iraq's 'strategic depth,' recalling Tehran's early military assistance against ISIS in 2014 and saying the agreement 'affirms that Iraq is not alone.' US Rejection and Regional Pushback The US State Department warned the MoU could weaken Iraqi security institutions and 'turn Iraq into a client state of Iran.' Spokesperson Tammy Bruce argued it undermined efforts to build independent Iraqi defense capabilities. Baghdad's embassy in Washington responded that Iraq is not subordinate to any state's policies, that its decisions reflect independent national will, and that it maintains balanced relations with both neighbors and the United States based on mutual respect and shared interests. Iran's Embassy in Baghdad also rejected Washington's position, calling it 'an unacceptable intrusion into the relations between two neighboring and sovereign states' and accusing the United States of pursuing a destabilizing approach in the region. The statement said such actions violate the UN Charter and international law. Domestic Political Divide Salah al-Zubaidi of the Iran-aligned al-Nasr Coalition said Washington has no right to dictate Iraq's security policy, though he acknowledged the possibility of US economic pressure to limit Iranian influence. Security analyst Ahmed al-Sharifi told Shafaq News that under the 2008 US–Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement, Washington can raise objections because Iran is a US adversary. 'For now, the MoU remains a security understanding, not a treaty, and therefore carries limited legal weight,' he said. Security expert Adnan al-Kanani described the memorandum as part of long-term cooperation but stressed political divisions over Baghdad's closeness to Tehran. He noted that distancing Iranian opposition elements—estimated at around 20,000 people, including families—remains a central goal. A Decade of Agreements and Flashpoints The 2023 accord, reaffirmed by al-Araji as the base of the current MoU, followed Tehran's September ultimatum to disarm and relocate armed Iranian Kurdish groups by the 19th of that month. Baghdad complied by moving them from border zones to designated camps. Those measures came after Iranian Revolutionary Guard missile and drone strikes in September and November 2022 against targets in the Kurdistan Region—operations Tehran framed as counter-terrorism, but which intensified pressure for formal border arrangements. Earlier milestones include the July 2017 military cooperation MoU, which expanded joint training and logistics but drew US concern over deepening Iranian military ties, and the December 2014 defense cooperation MoU signed at the height of ISIS's advance. The deeper legal backdrop is the 1975 Algiers Agreement, which settled land and river boundaries along the Shatt al-Arab—a reference point repeatedly revived in moments of crisis. Over the past decade—2014, 2017, 2023, and now 2025—each deal has been followed by cycles of coercion or escalation. The latest memorandum again seeks to codify border rules in hopes of reducing friction. Whether this MoU breaks that cycle will depend less on the language of the agreement than on transparent enforcement and Baghdad's ability to shield itself from the gravitational pull of competing regional powers. Potential spoilers, according to observers, include renewed Iranian strikes in Kurdistan, shifts in Iraq's domestic political balance, or US economic measures aimed at curbing Tehran's influence.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store