Thread: Archive Latest News - Think Tank - 01/01/08 - 14/04/08

EU to boost technical support for Iraq

European Parliament agreed that the help European Union grants to Iraq reconstruction shall be more transparent and based on specific targets such as: human rights and enhancing democracy.

European lawmakers called European Commission and their States to provide Iraq with further technical help in establishing state of law, a sound judiciary system and in preserving human rights given that they should be provided with periodical and comprehensive information about the use of funds especially thru agents and direct action.

Moreover, European Lawmakers suggested holding negotiations about a trade and cooperation agreement between the European Union and Iraq so as to facilitate and enhance internal reforms in Iraq. To that, they called to encourage Iraqi government to reinvest oil income inside Iraq.

EU to boost technical support for Iraq | Iraq News | Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network

Electricity Ministry to sign contracts in order to provide fuel

In a joint press conference with Commander of multinational forces in Iraq David Petraeus, Electricity Minister Wahid Karim confirmed that the Ministry is about to sign contracts with some companies in order to provide fuel for electricity power plants that suffer from a lack of fuel.

Electricity Ministry to sign contracts in order to provide fuel | Economics News | Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network

Trade Ministry starts distributing new ratio cards

Trade Ministry announced that it started the plan of distributing ratio cards for the current year after it gathered all the information it needs for each card and printed them in a neighboring country.

A source in the ministry announced that Planning and Supplying Directorate in the Ministry finished the related works in some provinces and that it is still working in order to fill the missing information in other provinces so as to start distributing program. In fact, this program is carried out thru supplying centers in all Iraq provinces. The same source added that the new ratio card enjoys qualities that cannot be falsified since it is stained with specific marks that cannot be counterfeited.

Trade Ministry starts distributing new ratio cards | Economics News | Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network

Oil prices settle on new peaks above $110

Oil prices remained above $110 dollars for barrel reaching an all time record while declining dollar overshadowed the increase of US crude oil reserves.

On the other hand Qatari Oil Minister Abdullah Al Attiah said that crude oil supplies in the market are more than enough in spite of the record-high oil prices. He also added that there is enough oil to increase reserves.

Oil prices settle on new peaks above $110 | Economics News | Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network

Holding Preparatory Session for Business and Investment Conference in Iraq

Under the supervision of Dr. Adel Abdul Mahdi, the Iraqi Vice President, the Preparatory Session for Business and Investment Conference in Iraq was held last Thursday in al-Rasheed Hotel. The session was attended by the Representatives of 15 Provinces.

Dr. Adel Abdul Mahdi emphasized during the session, the importance of investment in strengthening the Iraqi economy. He also stressed that all must cooperate in order to establish a productive investment environment in the country.

On the other hand, the participants explained the obstacles that hinder their work.

The second Conference of Business and Investment is will be held in Cairo next May.

PUKmedia :: English - Holding Preparatory Session for Business and Investment Conference in Iraq

Najaf refinery's second unit starts up

Iraqi Minister of Oil Hussein Al-Shahrestani opened on Saturday the second unit of Najaf oil refinery, that produces 10,000 barrels per day, to increase that total production capacity of the refinery to 20,000 barrels per day.

"The refinery will cover Najaf's demands for kerosene, gasoil, and fuel oil," Al-Shahrestani said in a press conference at Najaf governorate building. He added, "The ministry of Oil (MOI) signed a contract with a foreign company to construct another unit that should cover Najaf and its neighboring provinces' demands on gasoline."

Al-Shahrestani highlighted that with the third unit, Najaf refinery's daily production will peak to 30,000 barrels.

From his side, Engineer Dathar Al-Khashab, Director General of Midland Refineries Company (MOI company), said in the conference "the company signed a contract with the U.S. based company – CISCO to construct Najaf refinery's gasoline unit," explaining, "The unit that will be finalized within 24 – 30 months will cost 85 million U.S. dollar, and it is expected that the cabinet will allocate this amount during this week."

Al-Khashab referred that the gasoline unit will improve and enhance gasoline production of Najaf refinery to reach 4,000 barrels per day, adding, "The company will also construct a hydration unit for gasoline production, with a daily capacity of 600 barrels, in addition to steam boilers of 50 tons / hour capacity, power generators, air compressors, and water treatment (R.O.) units with a capacity of 50 cubic meters per hour."

Najaf refinery is located north of Najaf, capital city of Najaf province, which is 180 km southwest of Baghdad.

Aswat Aliraq

Japan Hosts Seminar on Iraqi National Reconciliation

The Japanese Government Invited an Iraqi delegation consisting of a number of lawmakers and the Sunni and Shiite leaders of the political parties to a seminar on the Iraqi National Reconciliation in Marc 20-28.

A statement issued by the Japanese Foreign Affairs Ministry said” The seminar will be based on activating the National Reconciliation which led to Iraq’s stability.”

The Iraqi Delegation will discuss further issues as the Oil-Gas Law and visit Hiroshima city to share the democratic experiment in Japan.

It’s worth mentioning that Tokyo hosted another seminar on the Iraqi National Reconciliation in March 2007 and was attended by 15 MPs of Iraqi Parliament representing the Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites.

PUKmedia :: English - Japan Hosts Seminar on Iraqi National Reconciliation

PUK General Secretary Emphasizes Activating Performance of Federal Government and KRG

Mr. Jalal Talabani, the General Secretary of The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) met yesterday in Erbil, the KRG ministers and the members of the Green Faction in Kurdistan Parliament and a number in PUK organizational office.

During the meeting, Mr. Talabani shed light on the present critical tasks, the results of his productive visit to Turkey and the necessity of holding a General Conference of the PUK.

Mr. Talabani stressed the necessity of activating and developing the performance of the federal Government and the KRG. He asked the ministers and the MPs to accomplish their duties in the best shape and realize the importance of the Kurdish role in Baghdad.

On the other hand, Mr. Talabani emphasized the necessity of consolidating the relations between the PUK and The KDP and considers it as a strategic goal. He also asserted the enhancing the relations with other Iraqi Parties and to solve the suspended issues between the KRG and the Federal Government through dialogue and understanding.

The meeting was also attended by Mr. Kosrat Rasul Ali the Deputy of the PUK General Secretary along with a number of members in the PUK Politburo.

PUKmedia :: English - PUK General Secretary Emphasizes Activating Performance of Federal Government and KRG

Presidents Talabani and Barzani Discuss Latest Developments

President Jalal Talabani visited today Kurdistan Region Presidency in Salahadin Resort. He was received by Massud Barzani the President of Kurdistan Region, Nichervan Barzani the KRG PM and Fadhel Merani the head of the KDP Politburo.

The meeting was also attended by Kosrat Rasul Ali the Vice President of Kurdistan Region, Omer Fatah the Deputy of the KRG PM, Dr. Arslan Baiez the member in the PUK Politburo.

They held a joint meeting which comes as a complementary for the last week’s meetings to discuss the latest developments in Iraq and Kurdistan Region. A press conference is going to be held after the meeting to clarify what had happened in it.

PUKmedia :: English - Presidents Talabani and Barzani Discuss Latest Developments

Talabani: We'll never give up on sovereign posts in new Govt.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said the Kurdistan Coalition (KC) will never give up sovereign positions in the new Iraqi government Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was planning to form.

"Sovereign positions in the Iraqi government is our right," Talabani, who is also the leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), said during a press conference in Salah al-Din resort after a meeting with Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barazani on Saturday.

Fouad Maasoum, the leader of the KC bloc, had told VOI that the talk on changing or replacing sovereign ministerial portfolios was premature, revealing that the KC was "sticking to the foreign affairs portfolio," currently under incumbent Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zibari.

The Maliki government is composed of 37 ministries, five of them are state ministries, distributed among the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC), the largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament with 83 out of a total 275 seats, the KC, the second largest with 55 seats, the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF), which had 35 seats prior to its withdrawal in August 2007 along with ministers of the Sadrist bloc, or Iraqis loyal to Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr, which has 30 seats, and the former Iraqi premier Iyad Allawi's Iraqi National List (INL), which has 21 seats.

According to a cabinet statement last month, Maliki sent a message to the presidential board and the leaders of political blocs in which he set the basis to be used in the formation of a new government.

"One of these principles is the avoidance of the quota system and the selection of experienced efficient technocrats as ministers, provided that the number of ministries would be cut to 22," the cabinet statement read.

The Iraqi president arrived in Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region, to attend the three-day Arab Parliamentary Union (APU) conference.

Aswat Aliraq