Archive | 2023

Contracts Signed for Iraq's Fifth Round Energy Licences

By John Lee. Prime Minister Mr. Mohammed S. Al-Sudani attended the final signing ceremony of the contracts for the fifth licensing round for border zones and fields, held on Tuesday 21st February at the headquarters of the Ministry of Oil. The Prime Minister pointed out that implementing the fifth licensing round was delayed for five […]

US Ambassador "Excited" at Growth Opportunities in Iraq

Remarks for the Ambassador's Keynote Speech at the Iraq Oil and Gas Show Saturday, February 18, 10:45 a.m. (Babylon Rotana Hotel) I have recently returned from Washington, D.C. where we had the privilege of hosting Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and his 15-member delegation.  This visit was historic.  It was the first Higher Coordinating Committee that […]

Halting the Iraqi Dinar's Volatility

By Ahmed Tabaqchali, for the Atlantic Council. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq needs to address the economy's structural imbalances to halt the dinar's volatility A planned implementation of global procedural requirements for cross-border payments by the Central Bank of […]

Iraq Economic Contact Group meets with Fin Cmte

By John Lee. On February 13, 2023, the ambassadors of the Iraq Economic Contact Group (IECG), under German co-chairmanship, met with representatives of the Iraqi parliament's finance committee to exchange views on key economic reforms and ongoing budget negotiations. Ambassador Jäger reiterated the offer of support from the G7 countries to assist Iraq in furthering […]

KRG PM meets French Entrepreneurs and Investors

Kurdistan Region Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with a number of entrepreneurs, investors, businessmen and representatives of several French companies at the headquarters of the Mouvement des Enterprises de France (MEDEF) in Paris. In the meeting, the Prime Minister highlighted the general economic situation in the Kurdistan Region and the reforms of the […]

Iraqi PM meets with UK Foreign Minister

By John Lee. Prime Minister Mr. Mohammed S. Al-Sudani, met on Friday with the British Foreign Minister, Mr. James Cleverly, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. The meeting focused on bilateral relations and ways of developing them. They also discussed the regional and international developments, as well as discussing strengthening cooperation and partnership […]

Iraq and Saudi Arabia sign new Security MOU

By John Lee. The Iraqi Minister of Interior, Abdul Amir Al-Shammari, and its Saudi counterpart have signed a security memorandum of understanding, which is the first of its kind since 1983. The agreement includes various forms of security cooperation, exchange of ideas, and joint security efforts to enhance security for both countries. The signing was […]

Anger at Iraqi Parliament's attempt to Amend Electoral Law

By Ali Mamouri for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraqi parliament's attempt to amend electoral law met with anger The controversial amendment, which will benefit Iraq's larger political parties at the expense of independent ones, is causing political […]

Article 140 and the future of Iraq's Turkmens

From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Deep Dive: Article 140 and the future of Iraq's Turkmens The Iraqi Turkmen community is increasingly fearful of the potential impact of Article 140 of Iraq's constitution. The article calls for resolving the […]

Iraqi Govt approves Protectionist Measures Against Imports

By John Lee. Iraq's Council of Ministers has approved a list of additional import taxes aimed at protecting domestic producers: Imposing an additional customs fee of 65% on "epoxies and modern dyes" imported into Iraq from all countries and manufacturers for four years without reducing it and monitoring the local market while applying the additional […]

Kurdistan to Export More Agriculture Products

Kurdistan to export three more agriculture products in 2023 The Prime Minister of Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzani, and his administration has been following a reform plan to develop the agricultural sector of the Kurdistan Region and to find domestic and international markets for local produce, consequently boosting and diversifying the region's economy. Within the framework […]