A member of the Dutch parliament, Van Bommel who is currently in Kurdistan Region on an official visit, said that the Netherlands is willing to increase its representation in the semi-autonomous region.

During a meeting with President of the Kurdistan Region, Massoud Barzani, he said that the goal of his visit to Kurdistan is to raise the level of Dutch representation in the Kurdistan Region to a “permanent representation” and to encourage Dutch companies to invest in the region.

Netherlands officially opened it’s consulate in Erbil in October of last year. The consulate, however , does not offer services like visas and passport renewal.

(Source: AKnews)

The Netherlands’ Deputy Head of Mission to Iraq, Mr Lars Tummers, today announced that the Dutch government has decided to station a diplomat in the Kurdistan Region.

In his meeting with the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Head of Foreign Relations Minister Falah Mustafa, Deputy Tummers said that the Dutch Foreign Ministry has decided to upgrade its representation and post a diplomat in the Region at the beginning of 2012.

Minister Mustafa received the news warmly and said, “We welcome this decision by the Dutch government, and view it as a positive and mutually beneficial step forward. We know how hard the previous Dutch Ambassador to Iraq, Peter van Leeuwen, and his successor, Ambassador Jeroen Roodenburg, have worked in order to bring about this diplomatic representation, and we sincerely appreciate their efforts.”

Mr Tummers expressed his hope that having a Dutch diplomat in Kurdistan will improve consular services, strengthen ties with the KRG, and enhance commercial cooperation between the Netherlands and the Kurdistan Region. He also spoke about the growing number of Dutch companies visiting the Region recently, with several participating in the Erbil International Oil & Gas Exhibition earlier this week. They discussed ways to promote more Dutch participation in such events.

In the days of the former regime, the Dutch government welcomed a large number of Iraqi Kurds as refugees, some of whom have now returned to the Region and are contributing to its redevelopment. The new diplomat will work closely with the KRG to provide better support to these individuals and to the rest of the Dutch community in Kurdistan, as well as to assist the increasing number of companies and individuals travelling between the Netherlands and the Region.

Both sides also discussed the ongoing political situation in Baghdad and the impact of the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq both on the Kurdistan Region and on Iraq as a whole. Minister Mustafa briefed Mr Tummers on the recent visit to the US by a senior delegation of the Kurdistan Region which met with a large number of American government officials and private sector leaders.

(Source: KRG)

Trade between Iraq and the Netherlands in 2011 topped $630 million, according to a report from AKnews.

Salam Qurayshi, economic advisor to the Iraqi Council of Ministers, told AKnews the business was mainly in the field of residential housing and oil projects.

He added there are only nine Dutch companies in Iraq and 21 company representations.

The government is trying to increase trade with the Netherlands and triple the number of Dutch companies in 2012, Mr. Qurayshi added.

(Source: AKnews)

Iraq’s Land Transportation Company is in discussions with Dutch manufacturers DAF over the replacement of vehicles in its current fleet, reports Construction Weekly Online.

According to the LTC’s media department, General Manager Abbas Omran Musa met with a delegation from DAF to discuss the supply of DAF trucks to expand the State Company’s fleet and renew its vehicles.

Details of the deal were not disclosed in the media statement.

The LTC also asked that its technicians visit DAF’s factories to get acquainted with their work.

(Source: Construction Weekly Online)

High-ranking officials from Iraq and the Netherlands have met to discuss Dutch participation in developing Iraq’s sea-ports, according to a report from Contstruction Weekly.

Omran Radi, the director of the State Company of Iraq Ports and Yaron Rodenberg, the Dutch ambassador to Iraq, met this month to explore potential cooperation and work together to develop and modernise the sea-ports of Iraq.

“Omran Radi discussed during his meeting with the Dutch Ambassador joint ventures to develop sea-ports of Iraq and the contribution of Dutch companies in the process of construction and reconstruction,” said the Ministry of Transport.

Since the conclusion of the conflict in Iraq, Dutch companies have built a number of rigs for oil work, and operate in a variety of Iraqi ports.

In recent weeks, the Basra Investment Commission and the Dutch Economy Council held an conference in the ‘Sheraton’ Hotel in Basra, which was attended by seven Dutch companies, with a view to increasing cooperation.

(Sources: Construction Weekly, BIC)

President Masoud Barzani thanked the outgoing Dutch Ambassador to Iraq, Peter van Leeuwen, who was on a farewell visit to the Kurdistan Region on Wednesday, for his exceptional contribution to strengthening the friendship between the people of the Kurdistan Region and the Netherlands.

During their meeting in Erbil on Wednesday, President Barzani thanked the ambassador for his dedication and service during his time in Iraq, and wished him every success in his future endeavors.

They also discussed the political process in Iraq, the latest political developments in the Middle East, and ways in which the Netherlands can continue to help the people of the Kurdistan Region.

President Barzani said, “The Netherlands has played an important role in supporting the people of Iraq, especially in the Kurdistan Region, and we welcome the continued assistance the Netherlands provides in strengthening our relations with the rest of Europe.”

President Barzani stressed to Ambassador van Leeuewen the importance of building closer economic and cultural ties between Kurdistan and the Netherlands.

Ambassador van Leeuwen said, “I would like to commend the Kurdistan Regional Government for the role it has played in helping strengthen the relationship between the Kurdistan Region and the Netherlands, as well as to highlight the important role that President Barzani has played in bridging the gaps between the various political blocs in Baghdad, which helped establish the current government in Baghdad.”

Bloomberg reports that Fugro, the world’s largest surveyor of deepwater oil fields, is about to enter the Iraqi oil and gas business as the oil majors are stepping up their exploration and production in the country.

“The security situation is improving,” Chief Executive Officer Klaas Wester said in an interview in Amsterdam on Friday. “We’re now working on getting a couple of contracts,” mostly in the southern part of Iraq.

Fugro, based in Leidschendam, Netherlands, gathers information about possible petroleum reservoirs under the sea floor in areas such as the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea and Brazil.

Fugro was founded in the Netherlands in 1962, has been listed on Euronext Amsterdam since 1992, and was included in the main Amsterdam AEX-index as of September 2008.

Fugro grows organically and through acquisitions, and by the end of 2009 employed some 13,500 staff in more than 50 countries.

(Sources: Bloomberg, Fugro)

The Chairman of Iraq’s National Investment Commission (NIC), Dr. Sami Al- Araji, confirmed during his meeting with the Netherlands Ambassador to Baghdad, the National Investment Commission’s willingness to create huge economic partnerships between Iraq and Netherlands in various sectors.

Dr. Al- Araji said during the meeting that the commission is ready to grant investors willing to invest in Iraq all facilities and incentives guaranteed by Iraqi investment law, adding that the Iraqi market is very promising.

He said Iraq has very fertile soil for planting great investments.

The Dutch Ambassador to Baghdad confirmed his country’s desire to reinforce economic relations and to utilize the available opportunities to enter the Iraqi market in a way that is beneficial to both countries.