Foreign Min meets Member of UK House of Lords
Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari met on June 18, 2013, at the headquarters of the Ministry, member of the British House of Lords, Baroness Emma Nicholson, and her accompanying delegation comprising representatives of a number of British companies. During the meeting, the two sides discussed bilateral relations and ways to develop them at all levels. They […]
Video: Interview with Former PM Ayad Allawi
More than a thousand people were killed in violence in Iraq last month according to the United Nations. The country appears to be dividing along religious lines, not helped by its neighbour Syria's descent into civil war. In this BBC Hardtalk interview, Sarah Montague talks to Ayad Allawi, the country's first Prime Minister after Saddam […]
Video: Victory for UK Families of Soldiers Killed in Iraq
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Families of British troops killed by roadside bombs in Iraq have won the right to sue the government. The Supreme Court has ruled that British troops serving in battle are covered by domestic […]
Paulson Buys WesternZagros Convertible Notes
By John Lee. Paulson & Co, the hedge fund run by John Paulson (pictured), has bought Cdn$70 million [$68.6 million USD] of WesternZagros 4.00% Convertible Senior Unsecured Notes ("Convertible Notes"). A portion of the proceeds from the Private Placement have been used to repay the remaining Crest Energy International ("Crest") debt of US$44.5 million plus […]
Gulf Keystone Starts Drilling at Shaikan-7
By John Lee. Gulf Keystone has announced the commencement of the Company's drilling campaign to explore deeper, yet untested horizons of the world class discovery at the Shaikan field, which the Company operates. Shaikan-7, the first deep exploration well on the Shaikan block, is targeting the mid to lower Triassic and, potentially, Permian horizons, spudded […]
Launch of First Environment Strategy for Iraq
The United Nations welcomed the launch of the National Environment Strategy and Action Plan (NESAP) in Baghdad on Monday, on the occasion of the World Day to Combat Desertification. “This is a landmark step, the first ever national strategy for the environment and a blueprint for sustainable development in Iraq,” said Martin Kobler, the Special […]
KRG Struggles to Cope with Syrian Refugees
By Abdel Hamid Zebari for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. With the continuously deteriorating security and political situation in Syria, and the growing fighting between government and opposition forces, many Syrian citizens — particularly Syria's Kurds — have been forced […]
New Rigs Arrive at Halfaya
By John Lee. The Missan Oil Company (MOC) has announced that new oil rigs are being installed at the Halfaya oil field to increase the number of new wells in the second stage of developing the field. The Director General of the company said that two new rigs belonging to PetroChina have already arrived and […]
Philippine Firms Eye Iraqi Opportunities
Philippine companies are looking at opportunities for trade and investments in Iraq. Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. (pictured), President of the Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport), the umbrella organization of Philippine exporters, told Philippine Star: “Iraq has expressed interest in importing raw and finished products from the Philippines, including electronics, auto parts, polypropylene granules, furniture, processed foods, fresh […]
Iraqi EITI Report - The Need to Act
By Ahmed Mousa Jiyad. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraqi EITI Report 2011: The Need to Act Promptly, Effectively and Properly This contribution was based on PowerPoint presentations I delivered before “EITI Beyond Compliance Report Analysis Workshop” organised by Revenue Watch […]
Zebari Discusses Issues with Kerry
The US Secretary of State John Kerry telephoned Iraq's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hoshyar Zebari, on Sunday to discuss a number of issues. Mr. Kerry praised the breakthrough made in the country's political situation and the Prime Minister's visit to the region of Kurdistan, stressing that the US administration always urges Iraqi leaders to adopt […]
Barzani, McGurk Discuss Iraq, Syria
President Masoud Barzani met with US State Department senior advisor Brett McGurk to discuss the recent political developments in Iraq and in the wider region. Mr. McGurk lauded the recent rapprochement between the Erbil and Baghdad, including the visit to Erbil by Prime Minister Maliki and his meeting with President Barzani. He expressed US government’s […]