Archive | 2015

Turkey Sends Power-Generation Ship to Basra

By John Lee. Turkey is to send a power-generation ship to Basra to help alleviate its electricity shortages. The announcement was made by Turkish Energy Minister, Taner Yildiz, on Sunday during the 17th Turkey-Iraq Joint Economic Commission meeting in Baghdad. According to Worldbulletin, the ship will add 410 megawatts to the existing capacity of 250 MW […]

ISIL Targets Professional Women, UN Warns

The United Nations human rights office today confirmed that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has established unlawful, so-called ‘shari’a courts’ in the territory under its control that have been carrying out cruel and inhuman punishments against men, women and children. Those who are punished are accused of ‘violating the group’s extremist […]

PM Barzani meets Pope’s Envoy

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, yesterday received in Erbil Archbishop Giorgio Lingua, Apostolic Nuncio in Iraq and his accompanying delegation. Archbishop Giorgio Lingua said that the Vatican follows the situation in the Kurdistan Region very closely. He conveyed Vatican’s gratitude to the Kurdistan Region for sheltering and assisting the internally displaced persons and refugees, […]

FM Receives Head of UNICEF

By John Lee. Foreign Minister Dr. Ibrahim al-Jaafari, received the Executive Director of UNICEF, Mr. Anthony Lake, and the accompanying delegation on Tuesday. They reviewed the work of the organization and services to care for children of the world and Iraq. Dr. Jaafari said that the world today is witnessing the dire reality in the […]

Currency Auction Results, 21st Jan

By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has reported that 16 banks took part in its currency auction on Wednesday. A total of $123,867,000 was sold  at a price of 1166 Iraqi Dinars (IQD) per dollar. (Source: Central Bank of Iraq)

Weekly Security Update, 13 - 19 January 2015

National Overview The establishment of new Sinjar governing institutions revives KRG-PKK rivalry as Peshmerga operations continue to resist ISIS attacks in the Gwer-Mosul corridor. Formed on Wednesday 14 January following the nomination of local residents of the Sinjar (also known as Shingal) and surrounding regions, the Yezidi administrative council has evoked a mixed response from […]

Turkey, Iraq Agree on Gas Pipeline

By John Lee. Iraq and Turkey have agreed on a new natural gas pipeline project. The announcement was made during the visit of Turkey's Energy Minister, Taner Yıldız, to Iraq on Sunday to attend 17th meeting of the Turkey-Iraq Joint Economic Commission. Technical analysis on a new natural gas pipeline will start soon. According to […]

Dragon Oil to Accelerate Evaluation of Faihaa-1

By John Lee. In its Trading Statement this morning, Dragon Oil issued the following update on its operations in Iraqi Kurdistan: "On 10 September 2014, the partners in Block 9 in Iraq, Dragon Oil (30%) and Kuwait Energy (70% and operator), announced their first oil discovery at the consortium's first target, the Mishrif formation, reached […]

Germany’s New Consul General visits DFR

The new German consul general to Erbil, Dieter Lamle, visited the KRG Department of Foreign Relations on Monday to introduce himself and to discuss latest developments with Minister Falah Mustafa, Head of the KRG Foreign Relations. In welcoming Mr Lamle, Minister Mustafa stated that the Kurdistan Region strongly values its ties with Germany and praised […]

Latvian Ambassador Visits Kurdistan

The Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to Turkey, Iran, and Iraq, Mr. Atis Sjanits, visited the KRG Department of Foreign Relations on Monday to discuss political, security, and humanitarian developments in Kurdistan and the wider Region. In his first visit to the Kurdistan Region, Ambassador Sjanits commended the KRG for the security and stability […]