Baghdad - (dpa) - The Iraqi government decided, today, Thursday, to provide facilities to the Ministry of Electricity to pay off the financial debts incurred by Iraq on behalf of Iran as a result of importing gas to operate electric power plants, amounting to more than one billion and 649 million dollars.

A statement of the General Secretariat of the Iraqi government stated that the Iraqi government decided, last Tuesday, to take over the Iraqi Trade Bank, to provide financial facilities “borrowing” to each of the General Company for Electric Power Production in the Central Region and the General Company for Electric Power Production for the Southern Region in the amount of one billion and 649 million and 253 million One thousand and 45 dollars to pay the dues of the Iranian side for the exported gas .

"The Department of Cabinet Affairs and Committees in the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers will take it upon itself to follow up on the implementation of the decision, in coordination with the relevant authorities," the statement said.