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Iraq Declared 'EITI Compliant'

The Board of EITI (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative) has declared Iraq to be 'Compliant' with the EITI Standard. There are now 18 countries that are 'EITI Compliant'. EITI compliance means that the country has an effective process for annual disclosure and reconciliation of all revenues from its extractive sector. This allows citizens to see how […]

Video: Iraq Oil Minister on OPEC Sec Gen Result

Iraqi Oil Minister Abdul Kareem al-Luaibi [Elaibi] talks about the extension of Abdalla El-Badri's tenure as secretary general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). He spoke with Bloomberg Television's Ryan Chilcote in Vienna: (Source: Bloomberg)

Iraq's Ghadhban Fails to Win OPEC Sec Gen Position

By John Lee. OPEC ministers have failed to agree on a new secretary general and have asked Abdalla el-Badri to stay in the post for another year. Four countries had been competing for the job -- Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Ecuador -- but Ecuador’s candidate, oil minister Wilson Pastor-Morris, announced last week that he […]

British Firm Pleads Guilty to Iraq Fraud

By John Lee. A British contractor has agreed to plead guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in a deal to supply vehicles to Iraqi police, according to Associated Press. APTx was to receive $5.7 million as a subcontractor in an August 2004 deal to procure 51 vehicles for the Iraqi Police Authority. The US Department of […]

Two New Forests in Muthanna

By John Lee. Two areas of land have been allocated for new forestry in Muthanna province. AIN reports that 200 acres has been designated in the Um Akaf district, with a further 50 acres in Salman district. Consent has also been obtained for an animal feed factory on a site of 5 acres in western […]

Basra’s Governor Meets US Businessmen

By John Lee. The governor of the southern Province of Basra, Khalaf Abdulsamad [Dr. Khalaf Abdul-Samad Khalaf] (pictured), is visiting the U.S. this week for talks with American firms considering investing in Iraq. At a private luncheon hosted today by the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the United States’ Departments of State […]

Iraqi Oil Minister's Address to OPEC Conference

The opening address to the 162nd Meeting of the OPEC Conference, by HE Abdul-Kareem Luaibi Bahedh, Minister of Oil of Iraq and President of the Conference: Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to Vienna for the 162nd Meeting of the OPEC Conference. I should like to extend a special welcome to His Excellency Dr Abdel Bari […]

Energy Companies no Proxy for ISX

The latest article from our Expert Blogger Mark DeWeaver gives a concise overview of the fall and rise of the Iraqi Stock Market (ISX) over the past 15 months, and of some of the factors driving (and not driving) it. For the average non-Iraqi retail investor, however, it is difficult to participate in this market, […]

KRG Investment Board Chair visits Austria, Slovakia

Austrian companies in Vienna heard about the investment and trade opportunities in the Kurdistan Region, at the first business lunch to be jointly hosted by the Kurdistan Regional Government Austrian Representation and the Austrian Federal Chamber of Commerce. The guest of honour was Chairman of the Kurdistan Investment Board Minister Herish Muharam, who on the […]

Maliki meets US Deputy Secretary for Resources

Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Thomas R. Nides visited Iraq from December 10-11, 2012, and met with President Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hoshyar Zebari, and Minister of Finance, Rafi al-Issawi in Baghdad. Deputy Secretary Nides and his Iraqi interlocutors discussed U.S.-Iraqi relations under the Strategic Framework […]

Advancing Iraq’s Unfinished Constitutional Agenda

Drafted and adopted by a referendum in 2005, the Iraqi constitution outlines the structure of the federal government and stipulates what bodies should form its legislative, executive and judicial branches. The legislative branch is to consist of the Council of Representatives (CoR; the Iraqi parliament) and the Federation Council, an ‘upper chamber’ of parliament that […]

New Date for Anbar Investment Commission Conference

Anbar Investment Commission (AIC) announced today that it is postponing its third annual international conference which was scheduled for December 15-17, 2012 in the city of Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq. The Commission's Board of Directors met yesterday and decided it would be best to postpone the conference to allow for greater participation and sponsorship. Many companies […]