On October 20th, Ambassador Stephen Beecroft hosted a business roundtable with the representatives of several U.S. companies operating in Iraq. Although the local market presents certain challenges, there is an increasing number of substantial U.S. companies making strategic investment commitments in Iraq. The U.S. government is fully committed to increasing bilateral trade and U.S. investment […]
The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office has issuued the following update on human rights and democracy in Iraq: We remain concerned by the deteriorating security situation in Iraq and the increasing frequency of coordinated attacks. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq, almost 3,000 people were killed in acts of terrorism between July […]
The UK Prime Minister's Trade Envoy, Lord Marland and the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Interior Minister, Abdul-Karim Sinjari, have officially opened the new UK Visa Application Centre in Erbil. The opening of the centre marks the first time that Iraqis in Kurdistan are able to apply for a UK visa from Erbil and further strengthens […]
By Tom Walker, Director, Assaye Risk COUNTRY OVERVIEW Nearly 900 civilians were killed across Iraq in September as sectarian violence worsened, raising the death toll for 2013 to more than last year's total, the United Nations reported this week. Sunni Islamist militants have perpetrated the overwhelming majority of violence, with the ISI leading the campaign. […]
The United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability conducted a workshop in Baghdad, September 22-26, on electricity operations and maintenance for 20 engineers from the Ministry of Electricity who work at power plants across Iraq. The five-day workshop provided the Iraqi participants with tools and methods to enhance efficiency […]
The governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Iraq reaffirmed their strategic partnership during a meeting of the Services, Technology, Environment and Transportation (STET) Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) under the Strategic Framework Agreement (SFA) on September 25, 2013 in Washington, D.C. Iraqi Deputy Minister of Transportation Bangen Rekani and U.S. Department […]
By Hugh Evans, United Kingdom's Consul General in Erbil. The UK is proud of the close friendship it has forged with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in recent decades. Today, our bilateral relationship encompasses strong political, commercial, educational, cultural and governance ties. As the people of Kurdistan go to the polls this weekend to elect […]
On Monday, September 16, the Ministry of Planning launched Iraq’s second National Development Plan (NDP) 2013-2017 at Baghdad’s Al-Rasheed Hotel. The Ministry of Planning (MOP) played a key role in producing the new NDP, with support from other Government of Iraq institutions and line ministries. The launch for the NDP was hosted by Minister of […]
The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all but essential travel to Iraq.Due to heightened safety and security risks and the ongoing threat of terrorist activities throughout Iraq, the U.S. government remains highly concerned about the danger to U.S. citizens, whether visiting or residing in Iraq, and to U.S. facilities and businesses. Threats […]
Minister Falah Mustafa, Head of the KRG's Department of Foreign Relations, has signed an agreement with the US Consul General in Erbil, Mr Joseph Pennington, paving the way for the construction of the US Consulate General. Minister Mustafa signed on behalf of the KRG and expressed his belief that this agreement would strengthen the already […]
The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all but essential travel to Iraq. Travel within Iraq remains dangerous given the security situation. This Travel Warning replaces the Travel Warning dated February 25, 2013, to update information on security incidents and to remind U.S. citizens of ongoing security concerns in Iraq, including kidnapping and terrorist […]
British Peer Calls for UK Investment in Iraq before Multi-Billion Pound Market is Lost to Far East Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, Executive Chairman of the Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC), has called on UK businesses to invest in Iraq or face losing out to more aggressive competitors from the Far East. Despite an upsurge in […]
