An official source at the Iraqi ministry of electricity said that a high ranked delegation from the ministry visited Iran for the purpose of increasing the amount of the electrical energy transformed from Iran to Iraq, reported the Iraqi newspaper, Al-Furat on March 27, 2005.

Engineer Raed Al-Hares added that it has been agreed with Iranian ministry of
electricity that the electricity transformed from Iran to Iraq will rise to 145 Megawatt in the second stage beginning in the middle of next June, up from 90-100 Megawatts, which were provided during the first stage.

It was agreed also to complete within a year the technical procedures needed for connecting the electricity networks of Iran and Iraq. When this goal will be met, the third stage begins, in which Iraq will be able to import larger amount of electricity from Iran, according to its needs.

Raed al-Hares added that there was a meeting with the Turkish energy minister and with Turkish officials in the electrical energy sphere, in which it was agreed to accomplish the second stage of the electrical connection project with Turkey. This stage includes increasing of the electrical energy transformed from Turkey to Iraq to 220-250 Megawatts from the end of next June, up from 150-160 Megawatts, which were provided during the first stage.  The two sides discussed also the third stage, in which Iraq will import 700-1000 Megawatt, while this will demand to arrange lines of more than 400 Kilo Volt. The Turkish side also promised to study the possibility of connecting the electricity networks of the two countries, in case of fulfilling the third stage, and to inform the Iraqi side his opinion about this idea.