Iraq has opened a land route for trade with Russia, expects mutual trade to grow, said Iraqi ambassador in Moscow Abdulrahman Hamid Mohammed al-Hussaini.

According to him, yesterday, they met with the deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Mr. Bogdanov, while the senior deputy foreign minister of Iraq was also present, RIA Novosti reported.

The Iraqi FM contacted his deputy and conveyed that the Iraqi Council of Ministers gave the green light to open direct ground communications between Russia and Iraq, the ambassador said at a meeting with Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture, Lilia Gumerova.

The distance between the borders of Iraq and Russia is 1700 kilometers, and the distance between Baghdad and Moscow is 2400 kilometers. But the distance is not long when it comes to land trade, he said adding that they have tremendous opportunities for mutual trade.