TEHRAN – Iranian Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, Mohammad Shariatmadari, and his Iraqi counterpart Adel al-Rikabi have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to exchange experiences on vocational training and social welfare.

Signed in Baghdad on Sunday, the MOU is a 5-year program aiming to exchange information on entrepreneurship promotion, as well as the development of cooperation in vocational training between the two countries.

Shariatmadari said that the program is beneficial to both nations, hoping that the implementation of the program will open up new job opportunities for the youth, IRNA reported.

Al-Rikabi also said that the joint action plan includes various areas of cooperation, including the exchange of experiences and the dispatch of professional delegations between the two countries, in addition to holding training courses and workshops.

He added that improving services for the disabled and expanding social security are among the issues covered by the program.

The document also emphasizes cooperation and participation in national skills competitions in the two countries, holding entrepreneurship training courses for Iraqi coaches, and exchanging trainers in required fields.

In addition, the two parties will cooperate in the field of labor relations, including job classification according to international standards, labor inspection training, implementation of current labor laws, social dialogue, and labor dispute resolution authorities.

Cooperation and exchange of experiences in the field of welfare and social security, including vocational rehabilitation, holding supportive workshops, methods of counseling services for the disabled, support solutions for breadwinner women and children, and operating employment-generating cooperatives for job seekers with disabilities and women heads of households are among the other issues that are emphasized in this document.

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