Iran, Iraq to sign gas deal Sunday

Tehran and Baghdad are set to sign an agreement Sunday under which Iran will supply natural gas to Iraq's Al-Baghdad and Al-Mansouriyah power plants.

The agreement would be signed by Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi and his Iraqi counterpart Abdul Kareem Luaibi in Baghdad, reported Xinhua Saturday citing Iran's deputy Oil Minister Javad Owji.

Negotiations between the two countries' officials over the gas deal have been underway for two and a half years, Owji said.

Iran, the minister said, would pump 25 million cubic metre of natural gas per day to the two Iraqi power plants. In return, Iran would receive $3.7 billion a year from natural gas exports to Iraq.