Abadi: Govt. Formation Talks "Positive".
By John Lee. Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi has issued a statement saying that government formation is going well and that on the security front, all militias loyal to the government must come under government control. The remarks are another sign of the PM's departure from the governing style of Nouri-al-Maliki, who originally appeared tough on […]
NATO Secretary General Makes Iraq Statement
By John Lee. The NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has recently remarked that countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are ready to give Iraq further assistance if it is requested and supported by NATO member states. Some NATO countries have already taken their own steps in Iraq, choosing variously to intervene on […]
UK Announces Security Envoy
By Patrick Schmidt. The British government announced Sunday the dispatch of an official special military envoy to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). General Sir Simon Mayall will assume the title of “Government Security Envoy.” “He will travel to Iraq next week to meet with political leaders in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government in Erbil […]
Iraq Oil Exports Up for July
By Patrick Schmidt. According to a statement released by the Ministry of Oil, Iraq exported 75.7 million barrels of oil in July. This figure means that an average of 2.5 million barrels were exported per day and would mark a five percent increase in exports since July 2013. Iraq earned $7.74 billion worth of revenue […]
City Master Planning in Iraq
By John Lee. The Guardian has recently run a feature on Garsdale Design, a family business based in Yorkshire, England, who have been working on projects in Iraq since 2007. The business is led by father and son team Eliot and Derrick, who have used cutting edge 3d modelling software to make plans for cities in […]
Peshmerga Advance Against ISIL
By John Lee. The BBC's Jim Muir has reported from the front lines at Bakarta in the Kurdish region of Iraq, where Kurdish Peshmerga troops have retaken villages lost to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Interestingly, Muir reports from a hill on the front lines that the Kurds seized from ISIL, […]
Jordanian Trade Hit by ISIL Advance
By John Lee. Iraq was once the consumer of some 20% of Jordan's exports, but since the border between the two countries is now all but closed, this trade has dropped off dramatically. Al Jazeera has reported that the number of trucks crossing the border between the two countries has fallen from an average of 500 […]
Government Still Holds Baiji Refinery
By John Lee. It has been the site of a dramatic siege since the June offensive of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) which seized large swathes of northern Iraq. Baiji refinery was vital for refined fuel products for much of the north of the country, and initially the Iraqi army unit […]
New Investment Agreement with Belarus
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hoshyar Zebari, recently received Vladimir McKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and the importance of expanding the horizons of cooperation in all fields in the forefront […]
Iraq Stock Market Report
Advertising Feature Rabee Securities Iraq Stock Exchange (ISX) market report (week ending: 21st August 2014). Please click here to download a table of listed companies and their associated ticker codes. The RSISX index ended the week at ID1,523 (+4.9%)/ $1,631 (5.3%) (weekly change) (-18.4% and -17.9% YTD change, respectively). The number of week traded shares […]
Premier Oil to Drill Block 12 in 2016/17
By John Lee. In its half-yearly results, Premier Oil gave the following update on its operations in Iraq: "In Iraq, work continues onshore Block 12, in which Premier was awarded a non-operated 30 per cent interest in November 2012. Block 12 is an 8,000 square kilometre block in the foreland of the Zagros fold belt, […]
Talisman to Sell Kurdamir Stake
By John Lee. Talisman Energy has said that it still plans to sell its oil properties in Iraqi Kurdistan, despite the recent declaration that its Kurdamir Block was commerical. Reuters reports that the Calgary-based company plans to look for buyers for its Kurdistan assets as it continues restructuring to cut debt and boost its flagging […]