Thread: Archive Latest News - Think Tank - 16/08/07 - 03/11/07

Barham Salih discusses with Cheney Turkish Threats and Bilateral Relations between the two Countries

In the framework of his visit to the United States, Dr. Barham Ahmed Salih, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister today, Tuesday, met with US Vice President, Dick Cheney, in Washington, and discussed the latest political developments in Iraq and the issue of Turkish incursion into the Kurdistan region.

The current developments in the region during the meeting have been discussed. Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister highlighted the stance of the Iraqi government from Turkey’s planned military operation into the Kurdistan region, and the negatives impacts that accompany the Turkish army intrusion.

He also indicated the accompanying problems and serious tensions in the region, saying the best way to end the conflict between Turkey and the Kurdistan region is through dialogue and diplomatic means, and through the Tripartite Committee which includes Iraq, US, and Turkey.

PUKmedia :: English - Barham Salih discusses with Cheney Turkish Threats and Bilateral Relations between the two Countries

The Vatican Considers the Kurdish People as Oppressed and must be granted full Rights

The Cardinal Renato Martino Ravalleli, Chairman of the Council of Justice and Peace in the State of the Vatican, to speed up dealing with the issue between Turkey and the PKK through diplomatic channels.

Cardinal Martino’s call came at a meeting of all religions in the city of Naples in southern Italy, where Martino said that the Kurdish demands should be taken into consideration, regarding that they are a nation without a state.

He also said that the Vatican is not assured about what is happening in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, and that this created another problem in the Middle East after the Iraq war, the Palestinian-Israeli problem, pointing at the same time that it must always be remembered that there is a Kurdish nationality , divided among Iraq, Turkey, Iran and Syria, who have their demands, and their rights should be address , and ignoring these rights leads to complexity and straining the conditions.

PUKmedia :: English - The Vatican Considers the Kurdish People as Oppressed and must be granted full Rights

Talabani refers to "direct contacts" between Iraq and Total Company

Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani, referred during a visit to Paris to a "direct contacts" between the Iraqi authorities and the French oil group Total.
Talabani said "with regard to oil and economic relations, there is some progress and there are direct contacts between the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and Total."

French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, only said that Total, which had a large presence in Iraq previously, had "very old" contacts and relations in this country.

He said, "We hope that companies, not only oil ones, would resume and intensify activities with Iraq, but we draw attention to the security conditions," referring to the atmosphere of violence and kidnapping of foreigners in Iraq.

The Director-General of the Group Total, Christophe de Margery, announced on the 10th of October, "We keep our contacts (in Iraq ) to push things forward." But he added that Total did not start projects in this country because "there is a fundamental problem which is the absence of security."

Talabani refers to "direct contacts" between Iraq and Total Company | Iraq Updates

Az-Zobaidi: signing agreement to protect Enterprisers

Iraqi Finance Minister Baqar Jabor az-Zobaidi has announced that Iraq had signed on October 20 an agreement with the International Agency to protect enterprising and investment projects through which the International Fund will appropriate $17 billion to protect enterprisers and investors in Iraq from any possible abusive procedures.

At a news conference in Baghdad, az-Zobaidi added that he finished with the international Fund Bank the preparation of draft agreement, through which Iraq will commit of a number of conditions relating with the financial and banking policies in return for fund would cancel all Iraq's debts.

Az-Zobaidi: signing agreement to protect Enterprisers | Iraq Updates

3 Trillion Dinars allocated for Provinces' Program

Planning and development cooperation ministry specified 3 trillion dinars to the provinces including improvement regions program for the year 2008.

A source at the ministry said that, the amounts distributed in the amount of 279 billion dinar for Nineveh, 111 billion dinar for Kirkuk and the same for Najaf , 132 billion dinar for Daiala, 144 billion dinar for Anbar, 159 billion dinar for Babel, 90 billion dinar for Karbala', 105 billion dinar for Wassit and the same for Samawa, 114 billion dinar for Saladin, 66 billion dinar for Muthana, 168 billion dinar for Thiqar, 96 billion dinar for Maysan, 240 billion dinar for Basra and 693 billion dinar for Baghdad province.

He added that they included Kurdistan region within the program by specifying 90 billion dinar for Dohok, 156 billion dinar for Sulaymania, 141 billion dinar for Arbeel.

3Trillion Dinars allocated for Provinces' Program | Iraq Updates

Iraq's Kurds fret economic woes if Turkey attacks

Iraqi Kurds on Monday expressed fear of acute economic woes in their relatively calm region of war-ravaged Iraq if Ankara launches a cross-border incursion against Turkish Kurdish rebels. "The continuing Turkish threats may result in closing the borders which would bring about large damages," said Bahaa al-Din Muhi al-Din, a 43-year-old merchant from the Kurdish city of Suleimaniyya.

Tensions between the two countries has risen since a midnight attack Saturday by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on a Turkish military patrol along the border that killed 12 troops.

The Kurdish region of northern Iraq imports goods ranging from foodstuffs to electronic items from Turkey and has been trading with its neighbor in a peaceful environment compared to some other violent regions of Iraq.

But Kurdish merchants and citizens now fear that a Turkish incursion could bring instability to their region.

"The events are worrying. These threats if implemented would lead to economic troubles such as skyrocketing prices," said Asso Tilawi, a foreign exchange dealer.

"Most of the Kurds are worried, but they do not want to say it," Tilawi added.

Iraqi Shiite MP Amira al-Baldawi warned that both countries would lose heavily from military action in northern Iraq.

"Iraqi oil exports and the Turkish port of Ceyhan would take the brunt for any hostilities," she said.

Iraq exports 300,000 barrels of oil from northern Iraq through the Turkish port of Ceyhan.

"They [Turkey] are benefiting from Iraqi exports and they will lose if there is a halt in oil exports," she added.

Although estimates of the potential economic loss from a Turkish incursion were not immediately available, a week's closure of the Iraq-Iran border in September led to a loss of $1 million a day for the Kurdish region.

While locals have not yet resorted to stocking food and fuel supplies in case of a Turkish incursion, anti-Ankara sentiment has been running high across the Kurdish region.

Irbil resident Suhail Tahir, 40, said Turkey would be the loser in the event of an attack.

"We actually do not believe Turkey would commit such a mistake as it is the only loser. All indications show that Turkey will lose if it launches the attack."

Iraq's Kurds fret economic woes if Turkey attacks | Iraq Updates

A new mechanism to control the entry of goods into Iraq

The Central Metrology and Quality Control in the Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation prepared a new mechanism to tighten controls on the entry of imported goods and different materials to markets.

A source in the ministry said that the Central Body of metrology and quality control seeks to scrutiny in goods that enter the markets through the control committees which are making field trips to markets in Baghdad and other governorates.

A new mechanism to control the entry of goods into Iraq | Iraq Updates

Iraq signed an agreement to protect investors from arbitrary actions

Iraqi Finance Minister, Baqir Jabr Zubaidi, announced that Iraq signed an agreement on Saturday with the International Agency for Protecting Investment by which the World Bank will allocate $ 17 billion to protect investors in Iraq from any possible arbitrary action.

Al-Zubaidi added that he ended preparations with the International Monetary Fund to make a draft convention according to which Iraq is committed to a number of conditions relating to the financial and banking policies in return for writing off most of Iraq's debt by the Fund, pointing out that the agreement will be signed as final with the end of the current year.

The Iraqi minister admitted the state of administrative and financial corruption involving all levels of the State, but reduced the importance of the accusations made by the former Chairman of the Integrity Committee, Judge Radi Hamza Al-Radi, pointing out that most of the issues raised recently concern governments that preceded the government of Nuri al-Maliki, and attributed the causes to the incomplete control authorities at the time.

Iraqi Minister of Finance confirmed that the United States considers concluding commercial, economic and investment agreements by the Iraqi government is an internal Iraqi affair. He explained that the project of building an electrical station in Sadr City was won by Iran because of the better specifications provided by the Iranian side.

Minister Baqir Al-Zubaidi criticized the delay in supplying the Iraqi armed forces with American weapons by the United States, within a deal financed almost a year ago; it was reported that the American Defense Minister Robert Gates said that the reasons for the delay in the arrival of weapons to Iraq are due to what he described as bureaucratic factors.

Iraq signed an agreement to protect investors from arbitrary actions | Iraq Updates

Lower demand for dollar in daily auction

Demand for the dollar was down in the Iraqi Central Bank’s auction on Tuesday, reaching $71.645 million compared to $114 million on Monday.

In its daily statement, the bank said it had covered all bids, including $10.675 million in cash and $60.970 in foreign transfers, at an exchange rate of 1,232 dinars per dollar, unchanged for the ninth session in a row.

The 15 banks that participated in today's session offered to sell $1 million, which the bank bought at an exchange rate of 1,230 dinars per dollar.

In statements to the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI), Ali al-Yasseri, a trader, said that the return of offers to sell dollars after an absence of three sessions has led to a relative decline in the demand for dollar.

The Iraqi Central Bank runs a daily auction from Sunday to Thursday.

Lower demand for dollar in daily auction | Iraq Updates

Saudi investors awaits for opening embassy in Baghdad to enter Iraqi market

Saudi investors are awaiting the opening of the Saudi embassy in Baghdad in the upcoming stage to enter the Iraqi market and increase their share, while Saudi business sector is planning to open contacts with Saudi authorities to open a new border crossing with Iraq in Hafr al-Baten region, as well as reopening of Jadida Araar crossing.

"The reopening of the Saudi embassy in Baghdad and organizing border crossings between the two countries will contribute in increasing trade volume and raise Saudi exports to Iraq," Saudi officials from the Saudi business sector told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

They said they can make big Saudi investments in Iraq but only within a stable security condition.

Chairman of the Saudi Chambers of Commerce Council Abdul Rahman al-Rashed said "the council will take an official step within the next days to address the ministries of finance, interior, and foreign affairs to reconsider the opening of two crossings: the first in Hafr al-Baten region and the second the Jadida Araar crossing to export goods to Iraqi markets."

"The council's plan aims at increasing goods exported to Iraq," he added, noting that the reopening of Jadida Araar crossing will help exporting Saudi products to Iraq directly without passing through Kuwaitor Jordan, currently used as a transit for Saudi products heading for Iraq.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, during a press conference on August 1, 2007 with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, had said the kingdom was planning to send a diplomatic envoy to Iraq "soon" to prepare for the re-opening of its embassy in Baghdad and enhance bilateral relations.

Diplomatic relations were re-established between Iraq and Saudi Arabia in 2004 after the fall of the former regime, but an embassy was not opened due to deteriorating security conditions.

Iraq, however, re-opened its embassy in Riyadh in February 2007 for the first time since 1990, when it was closed after the outbreak of the 1st Gulf war.

For his part, the Secretary General of Saudi Chambers of Commerce Dr. Fahd al-Sultan explained the mechanism to be adopted after the reopening of Saudi embassy by maintaining contacts with the Saudi ambassador and then coordinating with Iraqi chambers of commerce.

Al-Sultan said that the council is in permanent contact with Kuwait chamber of commerce and industry and Kuwaiti customs authorities to facilitate the passing of Saudi products through the Arab gulf country.

Regarding the reopening of border crossings with Iraq, he said that "Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz gave instructions to prepare a mechanism to organize the reopening of the border crossing of Jadida Araar, but he did not set a date."

"The minister did not rule out the possibility of opening a large free-trade area between the two countries, noting that it is possible to turn al-Eidaa region in Jadida Araar into a large trade area in the future according to Saudi policies and laws and security and stability in Iraq," he also said.

The four border crossings, currently closed, between Iraq and the kingdom are Rafhaam al-Uwayiqieliya, Hafr al-Baten, and Jadida Araar, the last one was reopened to export Saudi products to Iraq directly within the U.N. Food-for-Oil Program, before closing it prior to the U.S.-led invasion.

Dr. Fahd al-Sultan voiced belief that his country is qualified to top the list of Iraq's exporting countries with products valued at no less than USD 5.2 billion annually.

Deputy Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Riyadh Abdul Aziz al-Azl warned Saudi investors of accelerating the process of investments in Iraq without having enough security guarantees from the Iraqi government and other international organizations, i.e. the U.N.

Saudi non-oil exports to the war-torn country in 2004 hit USD 8.1 billion, according to unofficial statistics

Saudi investors awaits for opening embassy in Baghdad to enter Iraqi market | Iraq Updates