Poland may Open Representative Office in Kurdistan
Poland’s Ambassador to Iraq Mr Stanislaw Smolen met KRG’s Head of Foreign Relations on Wednesday to discuss establishing a Polish representative office in the Kurdistan Region. Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Head of Foreign Relations, and Ambassador Smolen discussed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that is due to be signed between the […]
Baroness Emma Nicholson visits Baghdad
Between 18 and 23 September, Baroness Nicholson visited Baghdad in her capacity as Chairman of the Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC). She stayed at the British Embassy with the Ambassador, Michael Aron, and met a range of influential Iraqi leaders, including Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and two of his three Deputies. She also met Iraqi […]
Import of 22 Vegetables no Longer Banned
AKnews reports that 22 different types of vegetables are not longer banned from being imported into the Kurdistan Region. The ban had been imposed in May in order to boost local production. The KRG's Minister for Agriculture, Jamil Suleiman, said, "since the local production of these vegetables has decreased, the banned items are allowed to […]
Australia’s Ambassador Discusses Economic Ties with Kurdistan’s Leaders
Australia’s Ambassador to Iraq Ms Lyndall Sachs visited Erbil this week to exchange views with President Masoud Barzani and Prime Minister Barham Salih on political and economic developments and to discuss increasing economic relations. President Barzani met Ambassador Sachs, who reaffirmed Australia’s full support for a democratic and pluralistic Iraq and commended him on the […]
Failing Oversight: Iraq’s Unchecked Government
The following report was published on 26th September 2011 by the International Crisis Group. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. To download the full report, please click here. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS After years of uncertainty, conflict and instability, the Iraqi state […]
New TOEFL Center at the Commission on Integrity
Over the next 18 months, the U.S. Embassy in Iraq will provide approximately $580,000 toward establishing the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) center at the Commission on Integrity (COI). These funds will provide English-language training for 100 COI employees. The investigators and prosecutors in the program will receive a minimum of 288 […]
Weekly Security Update for 29th September 2011
Levels of violence rose in Iraq for the fourth week in a row last week, with a number of people killed and injured in nationwide attacks. Violence was concentrated in Baghdad, Mosul and the districts surrounding the capital. As warned in last week’s Security Update on Iraq Business News there were several attacks conducted against […]
More New Reports from Iraq Business News
In our ongoing efforts to brings you all the best information on doing business in Iraq, we continue to add to the list of reports available from our reports service. This week we've added two reports to purchase, and one to download free of charge: ‘Perspective on Iraqi private banks’, researched and written by Ahmad […]
Iraq makes First Payment in $3bn F-16 Deal
Bloomberg reports that Iraq has made its first payment on a $3 billion program to buy 18 Lockheed Martin (LMT) F-16 fighter jets. Pentagon spokesman George Little commented: “A long-term strategic relationship with Iraq is important. We seek to find ways to enable the Iraqis to provide for their own security and to add to […]
Oil Ministry Announces Amendments to New Oil Contracts
The Iraqi Oil Ministry has announced amendments to the contracts for the fourth oil licensing round after complaints from participating companies, reports AKnews. The Ministry's Director of Contracts and Licenses, Abdulmahdi al-Amidi [Abdul-Mahdy al-Ameedi], said that a final formula will be issued before the beginning of the negotiations in November. "These contracts purchased by the […]
Hyundai, Metka Win Iraq Power Deals Worth $357m
Iraqi government spokesman Dr Ali al-Dabbagh has announced that Iraq's cabinet has approved projects to build two power stations in southern Iraq. The 1,500 megawatt Rumaila power station will be built by South Korean Hyundai Engineering at a cost of $308 million, while the 1,250 megawatt plant in Basra will be built by Greek company […]
Iraqi Cabinet Approves Akkas deal
Iraq's cabinet has approved a contract with South Korea's KOGAS to develop the Akkas [Ukaz] gas field in western Anbar province, the country's largest, according to a report from Reuters. The cabinet approved the deal on Sept. 13 and the source said it will be signed Oct. 15. "Final signature of Akkas gas deal with Kogas […]