Iran, Iraq agree to foster ICT ties, enhance services for Arbaeen pilgrims

Expressing appreciation for the hospitality of the Iraqi government and people, Hashemi said, "Iran and Iraq share deep cultural, historical, and civilizational roots. We should make use of this unique capacity to expand cooperation between our two countries."

"The Iranian people followed the ceremonies held in various Iraqi cities through the media and appreciate the support of the Iraqi government and people,” he added, expressed Iran’s gratitude for the grand funeral procession and farewell ceremonies held in Iraq for the martyred leader of the Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.

The Iranian ICT Minister also congratulated his Iraqi counterpart for being appointed as the minister of communications.

"I hope cooperation between our two countries in the field of ICT will expand further, and that we will be able to make use of our shared capacities to provide better services to the people of both countries."

Elaborating on Iran’s achievements in countering cyberattacks, Hashemi said, "During the recent war, apart from temporary internet restrictions imposed based on the decisions of the relevant security authorities, there was no effective disruption to the country's communications network, and communication services continued to be provided to the public with appropriate stability."

"Over the past years, our experts and knowledge-based companies have developed numerous solutions to counter cyberattacks, and today, for nearly every new technology, a successful indigenous version has been designed and implemented by Iran's private sector."

Referring to Iran's progress in the digital economy, Hashemi stated, "E-commerce platforms, intelligent transportation services, video content streaming platforms, domestic navigation applications, and dozens of other digital services are now widely welcomed by the public, demonstrating the maturity of Iran's digital economy ecosystem."

"We are ready to share these experiences with our brothers in Iraq. The experience of the war demonstrated that these indigenous capacities significantly increased the country's resilience against enemy attacks,” he added.

ICT Equipment Production

Referring to the implementation of the national fiber optic project for homes and businesses, the ICT Minister said, “Our goal is to provide coverage for 20 million households over a five-year period. This project is being implemented by relying on the capabilities of domestic manufacturers."

"Today, more than 120 Iranian companies are active in the equipment production chain for this project, and the country has fiber optic manufacturing plants."

Hashemi invited Iraq's minister of communications to attend Iran's annual exhibition of information and communications technology capabilities.

"Your participation, along with your deputies in this exhibition will provide a valuable opportunity to become closely acquainted with Iran's technological capacities."

Arbaeen ICT Services

The ICT Minister stressed joint planning for Arbaeen processions.

"Cooperation between Iran and Iraq for Arbaeen should be strengthened further. A 100-gigabit link between the two countries has been established, and our proposal is to upgrade the four 10-gigabit links at the Shalamcheh border crossing into a single 100-gigabit link so that pilgrims can benefit from communication services without any disruption."

The Iraqi Minister welcomed the visit of Iran's ICT Minister, and said, "Your presence in Iraq is an honor for us. We are pleased to host you today in your second home."

Sanad also praised the performance of Iran's ICT Ministry during the recent Israeli-US war.

"We have heard and read a great deal about your efforts to defend communications infrastructure and counter cyberattacks. While some sought to portray Iran as being opposed to the internet, the realities reflected on social media presented a different narrative."

"We are ready to expand comprehensive cooperation with Iran, and we hope to benefit from Iran's valuable experience in cybersecurity, communications, and information technology,” he added.