Thread: Archive Latest News - Think Tank - 15/04/08 - 26/08/08

Dawa Party: Al-Maliki confirmed that the final agreement with the United States under the Convention strategy has been so far

Description Director of the Office of the Islamic Dawa Party in Karbala, Jawad al-Mahdi, warning that the votes of the Convention with America, that, "anticipate events, and attempt to make this case media articles, asserting that" the Iraqi government negotiations with the American side, comes a view to achieving sovereignty through the Convention and clear , Unless it is achieved will not be made "as he put it.

The Mahdi, in an interview with "Uzmatik", that the agreement with Washington, would only be done after ratified by the Iraqi parliament, describing this as a validation, a safety valve, which makes the decision and the final judgement in the convention entrusted with representatives of the people. "

Mahdi said that "the meeting was between him and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in the past few days, during which al-Maliki confirmed that the issue of the Convention are to be campaign material to serve this or that party in the election campaign."

The Director of the Office of the Islamic Dawa Party in Karbala that "the Prime Minister stressed that the final agreement with the United States under the Convention Strategy, has not been so far."

Regarding the criticism faced by the Iraqi government delegation during negotiations with the U.S. side, which refers to the potential danger of Iraq's sovereignty, said Jawad al-Mahdi, that "Iraq does not have so far airspace and sovereignty over its waters in the airport," and wondered "How can the signing of the convention, and we Did not have sovereignty. "

Mahdi said that "the Iraqi government under great pressure from the United States, which want to sign the Convention in any way due to internal pressures faced by" as he put it.

The Director of the Office of the Islamic Dawa Party in Karbala, said "the Iraqi prime minister told U.S. President George W. Bush more than once during the closed-circuit, that Iraq is the one that owns determine who can be labelled with terrorism and Iraq is the one who determines whether the state or the That the enemy of Iraq ", adding that" the United States of America wants to be defined powers, which is inconsistent with full sovereignty." As he put it.

It is noteworthy that the Islamic Dawa Party, who is of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki its secretariat-general, expressed reservations over the statements of a number of its members on the reactions encountered by the Iraqi-American negotiations on the Convention, where the accused Fouad Alldorki one of the party leaders, in an interview earlier told " Uzmatik ", some of the parties objecting to the convention as" a move in accordance with the agenda of a neighbouring State. "

Translated version of http://iraqalaan.com/

Iraq Technical Deals Face Delay

Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani has told lawmakers that short-term technical support contracts with oil majors worth around $3bn may not get signed, two parliamentarians said.

The lawmakers, the two top officials on parliament's oil and gas committee, told Reuters late on Wednesday that Shahristani was unhappy with delays in getting the contracts agreed. One sticking point was payment terms, they said.

The six no-bid contracts are worth about $500m each and are intended to quickly raise Iraq's oil output by a combined 500,000 barrels per day.

Iraq's proven reserves, at 115 billion barrels, are the world's largest after Saudi Arabia and Iran. But decades of war and sanctions have hobbled production.

"The oil companies are not enthusiastic about signing the contracts and there is a big possibility we will not sign them," Ali Hussain Balou, head of the committee, quoted Shahristani as telling the committee in a closed-door meeting on Wednesday.

Royal Dutch Shell; Shell in partnership with BHP Billiton; BP; Exxon Mobil and Chevron in partnership with Total are the key Western firms negotiating for the no-bid contracts.

The deals are separate from long-term development contracts that dozens of foreign energy firms are expected to bid for on the country's largest producing oilfields. Shahristani unveiled those fields and outlined bidding terms on Monday.

Before he met with the oil and gas committee, Shahristani told Reuters at parliament that the short-term technical support contracts were supposed to act as bridging deals to raise production before Iraq put its giant fields out to tender.

"These technical support agreements were meant to be signed at the start of the year. We have already lost six months," Shahristani said.

Asked if Iraq was close to signing the deals, he said: "We don't know, as long as talks are continuing."

FRUSTRATION

Shahristani had already shown frustration over the delays, telling a news conference on Monday the firms were reluctant to sign because they would offer their advice from abroad and preferred to be hands on with the fields.

The short-term technical support contracts might give the majors involved a headstart in bidding for the long-term deals.

Abdul-Hadi al-Hasani, the deputy head of the oil committee and who was also in Wednesday's meeting with Shahristani, separately told Reuters that payment terms were a problem. He did not elaborate.

"Shahristani told us ... there is a possibility the technical support agreements will not be signed," he said.

Balou said Shahristani promised to send copies of any long-term contracts to the committee so they could review them. The committee must have the right to scrutinise those deals or it would try to block them, Balou said on Tuesday.

Shahristani has said he hopes the long-term deals could be signed in June 2009 to raise output by a combined 1.5 million bpd. He said Iraq aimed to raise output to 4.5 million bpd by 2013 from the current 2.5 million bpd.

The move should mark the return of the oil majors after an absence of decades.

Iraq's cabinet agreed a new draft national oil law in February last year, but it has failed to get through parliament partly because of disputes with the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) over control of reserves and contracts. The government says it can use an existing law to move ahead on deals.

Offshore Technology - Iraq Technical Deals Face Delays

Update.......

Iraq says competition deciding factor in awarding contracts to oil majors

Iraq on Thursday said it would be guided by the principle of competition when awarding contracts to global energy companies hoping to cash in on the country's vast oil and gas fields.


On Monday the oil ministry threw open six oilfields and two gas fields for international bidding by 41 companies, the contracts for which are expected to be signed in June next year.

Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Baghdad would award the service contracts only on the basis of competition.

"There is no intention of signing oil deals outside the law. The principle of competition will be applied. There is no preference to any company," he said.

The oil contracts, which are service contracts only, pave the way for energy firms based abroad to return to Iraq 36 years after Saddam Hussein threw them out.

The move is seen as the first major step towards developing the world's third largest oil reserves at a time of skyrocketing global crude oil prices.

Separately, Iraq is still negotiating consultancy contracts with some multinational firms to source their services before the long-term deals are finalised.
These companies are Royal Dutch Shell, BP, Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Total, and a consortium of other smaller oil companies.
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Update.......

Four Chinese Oil Companies to Bid for Fields in Iraq

China National Petroleum Corp., China Petrochemical Corp. and two other Chinese companies will bid for oil and gas exploration rights in southeastern Iraq as energy demand rises in the world's fastest-growing major economy.

The two parents of PetroChina Co. and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., as well as China National Offshore Oil Corp. and Sinochem Corp., have started to assess fields in the Middle Eastern country, Zeng Xingqiu, Sinochem's chief geologist, said by m.o.b.i.le phone today.

China, which relies on imports for about half of its crude- oil needs, is seeking investment in overseas petroleum fields to satisfy growing energy demand from an economy that expanded 10.6 percent in January-to-March, the ninth straight quarter of double-digit growth. Iraq holds the Persian Gulf's third-largest crude-oil reserves.

``Sinochem has completed evaluating 10 small fields in southeastern Iraq,'' Zeng said. ``The biggest risk is political uncertainty in that region. It's difficult to predict when we can produce oil from the fields.''

The four Chinese companies are among a total of 41 globally that have been allowed by the Iraqi government to bid for exploration rights, Zeng said.

Crude-oil imports from Iraq more than doubled to 516,415 metric tons in the first five months, China's customs data showed on June 23.

Global Competition

China is competing with Japan and South Korea, Asia's second and fourth-biggest energy users, for stakes in overseas fields, while Iraq needs money to rebuild the nation and its oil infrastructure following years of war and economic sanctions.

Bloomberg.com: Energy

Cairo to host the second conference for business and investment in Iraq

The President of the Federation of Businessmen of ethnic, the second conference for business and investment in Iraq will be held in Cairo next Thursday to discuss the most important economic issues in the country and the role of businessmen in the economic process in Iraq. Ragheb explained Reza Blibl that "the second conference attended by Vice-President Syrian Adel Abdul-Mahdi is one of the most important conferences planned for the future economic work carried out by businessmen inside and outside Iraq, which discusses the strategic plans of the economic process in the country. "

The first conference for business and investment in Iraq in Dubai in 2007 under the banner of (investment coming home to Iraq's) presence of a large number of economic figures, Iraqi, Arab and most important of the recommendations came out to support the Iraqi economy and provide ways to success.

Blibl He added that "the role of research projects, private companies and government to develop the Iraqi economy and address its import goods from abroad would be the most important themes. " Increased "the conference will also discuss the important role of Iraqi businessmen in the growth of enterprises and companies inside and outside Iraq, and selected large Businessmen in the world and the Arab world will participate in the conference because there are invitations sent to more than 600 personal economic Iraqi and Arab world. "Concluded the President of the Federation of Businessmen ethnic saying that" among those invited representatives of economic organizations, professional and businessmen, traders and representatives of government projects. "

Translated version of http://www.aljeeran.net/economic.html

Turkish companies to rebuild electricity & rail sectors

An official spokesman for the ministry of trade has said that the main goal behind the Turkish delegation's recent visit to Iraq is the desire of the Turkish government to invest in Iraq in the fields of electricity, energy, and transport.

The spokesman explained that the Iraqi and Turkish ministries recently held a trade conference in the capital, Baghdad, which was attended by a Turkish delegation headed by trade minister Kurshad Tuzman and a number of Iraqi ministers.

The trade ministers in both countries expressed their hope to sign an economic partnership agreement between them.

The Turkish delegation met during the first rounds of talks with five Iraqi state ministers, including the ministers of electricity, water resources, reconstruction and planning in addition to the trade minister.

The Turkish delegation expressed turkey's desire to invest in Iraq, highlighting an interest in developing the electricity and rail sectors.

The media spokesman for the trade ministry said: "Kurshad Tuzman expressed the readiness of the Turkish consultancy companies to provide their expertise in the rehabilitation of oil fields and their return to work in Iraq after a 34 year hiatus. The Turkish minister also expressed the Turkish government's desire to participate in repairing the infrastructure of Iraq's economy and the economic institutions that have been damaged through the past years.

Iraq Development Program - Turkish companies to rebuild electricity & rail sectors

Shahrastani is not satisfied with the delay in reaching agreement on oil contracts

The two deputies of the Committee on the oil and gas, the Oil Minister, Hussein Shahrastani told legislators that the contracts for short-term technical support with major oil companies worth around three billion dollars might not expect. The two deputies emphasized that Shahrastani not satisfied with the delay in reaching agreement on contracts due to the repayment terms. The value of each of the six contracts being negotiated approximately five hundred million dollars, which aimed to raise Iraqi oil production quickly total of five hundred thousand barrels a day.

Translated version of http://www.alsumaria.tv/ar/Economics-News-Iraq/3-19671-.html

Iraqi Prime Minister Visits UAE Sunday

Visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki United Arab Emirates on Sunday after the announcement of its decision to appoint Abu Dhabi ambassador in Baghdad, according to official Emirati source told Agence France-Presse Thursday.

The official said that al-Maliki will visit the Emirates on Sunday and Monday and will meet the president of the country, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other officials.

Is not known whether the new Ambassador of United Arab Emirates in Iraq will be appointed by al-Maliki during a visit which comes after a month of visiting UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Iraq.

The minister announced then, the first Gulf official at this level will visit Iraq since the U.S. invasion in 2003, from near the reopening of his country's embassy in Baghdad and appointed ambassador to them.

The largest Emirates withdrew its diplomats in Baghdad, was based at affaires, in May 2006 in the wake of the kidnapping of Emirati diplomat in the Iraqi capital by armed Islamic group, was released after two weeks.

Before his release, the group demanded the UAE withdraw its representative from Baghdad and the closure of an Iraqi ********* channels broadcast from Dubai.

It is scheduled to visit the Jordanian monarch King Abdullah II of Iraq next week's visit was the first Arab country leader to Iraq since the invasion. The Foreign Ministry announced Monday the appointment of Jordan Nayef Zeidan Jordanian former Consul General of the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom's new ambassador to Iraq.

Washington exercised pressure on its Arab allies to normalize relations with Iraq in order to strengthen his government with a Shiite majority and bring about a balance of influence of Iran, accused by Washington of interfering in Iraq.

Translated version of http://wasatonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9405&Ite mid=101

MPs demanded to speed up the offer of the amended draft law of oil and gas on the House

Asked parliamentarians from different blocks for oil and gas committee in the House of Representatives to speed up the extradition of Parliament amended version of the draft law of oil and gas. Explaining that the draft presented to member contradiction with the constitutional texts in addition to that there are three copies submitted to Parliament to correspond with each other.

The deputy said Abbas Al-Bayati: There is a tendency to adopt the draft law of oil and gas that were raised in February last month and will be the foundation and will open to opinions and observations of the masses for their opinion on the creation of political consensus of all parliamentary blocs, adding that have been sent a copy of the Code of oil and gas to the state council The Board registration (13) points to this law, but these points rejected by some of the bloc must find a compromise that has been the law to be final and without taking observations from any bloc, pointing out that we are looking forward to initiate this law before the Constitutional holiday Because we were able to settle all contentious points, and we have no objection to the version presented at Chehrchaabat If put to the vote we will vote them.

For his part, member of the Committee of gas and oil MP Abdullah Iskandar Al-Juburi, there are three versions, including a proposed law department of the ****utive and a section of which it supplements and others are not, and supplements that are not adopting any copy so far there is no political consensus by the parliament blocs are , And there is a problem between the authority of the Kurdistan region and the current government on contracts and exceeded the powers, where've determined to stop all drafts to be amended after consensus from all the blocs, adding that after sending copy to the legal committee and then sent to parliament for debate and voting, saying that this Law concerns all the sons of the Iraqi people, as it defined that all companies are trying to obtain material profit and other concessions There is also a parliamentary bloc against this law and I think that if this law came formula participate in the contracts it will will not succeed.

Shows the deputy Noureddine life: that the draft law of oil and gas wrote in February 2007 and arrived copy of it to the House of Representatives unofficially, then signed a number of ministers but it has not been adopted, at the date of the third month of July last year we received a copy of the second This draft law, but without the four supplements have been challenged by the Commission on oil and gas, and X of the same month reached the third version, which supplements the four but they differ in terms of language and a certified copy No way. He added that the Commission on oil and gas have reservations about the latest version because it calls for providing Projects and laws among the four and one for study and report on a draft Law on the Ministry of Oil and bill of fiscal revenue and royalties that come from oil and the national oil bill and the bill of oil and gas as well as resolving differences between the central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq on contracts entered into by the Government of the territory without coordinating with The Ministry of Oil and adopted by the contracts involved in production and this controversial among a large number of deputies and parliamentary blocs, pointing to the difficulty of this debate only after the four bills that have not submitted so far. Meanwhile, Abd El overlooking Nation: The law of oil and gas contains very important questions need to be a quick solution for example the issue of entry of investment companies and investment system would be a partnership based on the companies or services and development fields should be any short-term work is necessary to determine the duration of survival in Iraq and also the issue of the powers of the centre and regions and imports oil from his deputy, Abdul Hadi ABOLHASSANI: The oil and gas law is long overdue and discussed in the corridors of the House of Representatives for several times and the reason is because the current constitution is not clear in its terms to learn from the first authority owns Is the Federal Government or Governments of the Territories.

The MP Salim al-Juburi the absence of a draft special law of oil and gas could then stand to determine whether valid, adding that the parliament to shoulder any responsibility for this law, and the day when the government gives us one copy can identify points of agreement and disagreement but that it gives the government Three copies This is surprising, since all the deputies waiting for the version that will determine our positions and it was important to finish the points of the oil and gas to come back to this law

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Abu tirelessly: not received any copies of the 2008 budget and supplementary budget

A Mr. Kamel Abu tirelessly member of the Committee on combating corruption in the municipal council of the city of Najaf that the Commission had not received copies of the 2008 budget or supplementary budget

He added, or Abu tirelessly to the requirements of financial control and monitoring to get the regulators to determine PROFILE budgets on the basis of various sectors to facilitate the work of regulatory commissions and said that the development regions and accelerate reconstruction, which was adopted in 2006 depends primarily on the basis of population density and on the basis of disadvantaged estimated by the Ministry of Planning And development cooperation.

Abul relentlessly on the need for the Finance Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning distributing allocations Development Programme regions and accelerate the reconstruction of the counties and wards in order to promote the values of transparency and facilitate the process of accountability.

The source added that the mechanism of selection of projects is unknown and many of them do not meet the requirements of the hand and a feasibility study and prepare disclosures and designs and who bears responsibility for the failure of projects and wasting public funds.
He called Abu tirelessly Cabinet issued instructions regarding identification of those who prepare the budget and qualifications of scientific and technical foundations, engineering and reliable statistical data which must be adopted.

He pointed relentlessly to the national security strategy announced by National Security Advisor and the Prime Minister confirmed last year in Chapter VII on the basis of combating corruption and building financial transparency, which is related to how the budget preparation, ****ution and follow-up health data and results and match with the priorities of the citizen, it is necessary to involve everyone in Budget preparation, especially civil society institutions and consulting offices in the university, trade unions and work sessions and panel discussion forum on the budget in the regions.

Translated version of http://nahrain.com/news.php?readmore=16276