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Conference on Legal Aid for Vulnerable Populations

On Wednesday January 22, Deputy Chief of Mission John P. Desrocher joined the Secretary General of Council of Ministers, Mr. Ali Mohsen Al-Alaq, in opening the First National Conference on Legal Aid Clinics at the Royal Tulip Hotel in Baghdad. The event was attended by ministers, members of parliament, and regional and local government officials […]

Weir Wins $98m Contract with Lukoil

The Weir Group has announced it has signed a contract with LUKOIL to provide general maintenance services for the West Qurna-2 oilfield in Southern Iraq. The agreement, which is for two years and is estimated to be worth a total ofUS$98m (£59m), will see Weir engineers deliver mechanical, electrical, maintenance and pipeline services for the […]

Corruption and Construction in Karbala

This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Six Years to Build a Short Road: Corruption and Construction in Karbala Despite the city’s tourism wealth, Karbala city officials say they don’t have enough money to complete important […]

Capacity Building Programme for Human Rights

Head of the European Union Delegation in Iraq, Ambassador Jana Hybáškova, and the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG) Mr. Nickolay Mladenov (pictured), has launched the “Capacity Building of the Human rights Related Committees in the Council of Representatives and the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights”. “The objective of the […]

Fmr Ambassador Argues for US to Do More

The death toll in Iraq this month is nearly 700 and rising — the result of a wave of bombings and open clashes between government-led Iraqi security forces and Sunni extremists with ties to al Qaida. Steve Inskeep talks to former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey, who says the U.S. should be doing more […]

Come, See and Start

By Padraig O'Hannelly. This week the UK hosted a delegation of business people and officials from Erbil, who came to London to promote investment in the province. The delegation would have been larger were it not for the ongoing problem of getting visas to enter the UK; despite the recent opening of a new visa […]

Illegal Sidewalk Vendors Thriving

By Wassim Bassem for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Al-basta (Iraqi goods displayed for sale on the sidewalk) used to be for the poor. It then became a small business, garnering modest profit. Today, these sidewalk displays generate regular daily […]

Azerbaijan Embassy "This Year"; New Flights

By John Lee. Azerbaijan is expected to open an embassy in Iraq by the end of the year. According to a report from Trend, the Iraqi ambassador to Azerbaijan, Heydar al-Barrak, told journalists that the process will take time, but he hopes to meet that schedule. He added that issues regarding the open of direct […]

Al Qasim Uni Agreement with Tehran Uni

By John Lee. Al Qasim Green University announced on Tuesday (January 21st) the signing a memorandum of collaboration with the University of Tehran in Iran, reports Alsumaria. The deal covers the exchange of expertise and research, with both universities agreeing to undertake joint projects in zoology and agriculture. A delegation from the University of Tehran […]

UK Trade Mission to Kurdistan

The Middle East Association (MEA) and British Expertise will be leading a joint trade mission to Iraqi Kurdistan, visiting Erbil and Slemani, from 22nd-27/28th February 2014. Register your interest today to confirm your place. This mission will have a particular focus on Education, Training, and Skills, Construction and Infrastructure Development. The MEA and British Expertise […]

Iraq Oil Revenues Decline

By John Lee. Iraq exported a total of 872.3 million barrels of oil last year, giving an average of 2.39 million barrel per day, down from 2.42 million bpd in 2012, according to AFP. Revenue for the year was also down, falling from $94.02 billion in 2012 to $89.22 billion last year. OPEC said Iraqi […]

Zebari Meets EU Commissioner for Development

Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and his accompanying delegation met European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, on January 20, 2014, at the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels. The two sides reviewed the development programs in Iraq, particularly the assistance provided by the EU in this area and the national development plan for the years […]