From the Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC). Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
IBBC Trade Mission Concludes Extensive Programme of Meetings in Baghdad
The Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC) has concluded a trade mission to Baghdad, bringing a 30-strong delegation of IBBC representatives and member companies to the Iraqi capital for a programme of meetings with Iraqi ministers, senior government officials, regulators, political figures and business leaders.
The delegation was led by Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, President of IBBC, together with Christophe Michels, Managing Director; Jon Wilks CMG, Senior Adviser; and Ali Mashkour, Baghdad Manager.
Three members of the IBBC Executive Committee took part in the activities of the delegation: Mr Sardar Bebany, CEO of Sardar Group; Mr Jamil Choucair, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Iraq; and Mr Zaid Elyasery, President of BP Iraq. Ahmed Shaban, Chair of the IBBC Maritime Committee, and Hind Hussein, member of the IBBC Advisory Council, also participated.
The delegation included representatives of IBBC member companies from the energy, technology, banking, legal, healthcare, education, transport, communications, agriculture and investment sectors.
Meeting with H.E. Mr Adel Dakhil Al-Yasiri, Chairman of the National Investment Commission
Meeting with H.E. Mr Abdul Rahim Jasim Mohammed Al-Shammari, Minister of Agriculture
During the mission, IBBC held meetings with:
- H.E. Mr Falih Sari Abdashi, Minister of Finance
- H.E. Mr Abdul Rahim Jasim Mohammed Al-Shammari, Minister of Agriculture
- H.E. Mr Wahab Salman Mohammed Al-Hasani, Minister of Transport
- H.E. Dr Abdul Hussein Aziz Al-Musawi, Minister of Health
- H.E. Mr Adel Dakhil Al-Yasiri, Chairman of the National Investment Commission
- Mr Naseer Aziz Jabbar, Deputy Minister of Oil for Upstream
- Mr Baligh Abu Galal, Chairman of the Communications and Media Commission
- Mr Sattar Al-Jabiri, Deputy Minister of Trade
- Dr Ammar Khalaf, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq
- Mr Ali Al-Shatari, Director General of SOMO
The meetings allowed IBBC members to discuss the priorities of the new Government directly with ministers and senior officials and to raise issues affecting companies operating or seeking to operate in Iraq.
Meeting with H.E. Mr Wahab Salman Mohammed Al-Hasani, Minister of Transport
Meeting with H.E. Dr Abdul Hussein Aziz Al-Musawi, Minister of Health
Discussions covered public finance and banking reform, agriculture, transport and logistics, upstream oil and energy, crude oil marketing, trade, healthcare, telecommunications, investment and private-sector development. The delegation also discussed the conditions required to attract greater international investment and enable the Iraqi private sector to play a larger role in the economy.
IBBC also took part in a closed roundtable organised with the Strategic Foundation for Public Policy. Participants included representatives of the Iraqi Parliament, advisers to the Prime Minister, government officials, research institutions and economic specialists. The discussion focused on the future of the Iraq-UK relationship and areas in which economic and commercial cooperation could be strengthened.
The mission included two evening events. On 13 September, Al-Nesoor Law Firm hosted a reception and dinner for the delegation in Jadriya.
Mr Hoshyar Zebari, former Minister of Foreign Affairs at IBBC reception
On 14 September, Mr Imad Al Burhan hosted a dinner at the Al Burhan Centre for the IBBC delegation and Iraqi political, business and institutional figures. Guests included Mr Hoshyar Zebari, former Minister of Foreign Affairs. The dinner provided an opportunity for IBBC members to continue discussions with Iraqi counterparts outside the formal programme of government meetings.
The delegation also met Sayyid Ammar Al-Hakim and the British Ambassador to Iraq, Irfan Siddiq, for discussions covering political and economic developments in Iraq and the wider region, as well as UK-Iraq relations.
On the margins of the trade mission, Baroness Nicholson separately called on Hadi Al-Ameri and met Iraq's National Security Adviser, Qasim Al-Aboodi.
IBBC thanks the ministers, officials and institutions that received the delegation, as well as its members and partners who participated in the mission. The Council will follow up on the meetings and the specific issues and opportunities raised during the visit.
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