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

Ministry to resume oil exploration after 20 year pause

The Iraqi Ministry of Oil will continue its oil exploration in the coming few days, ending a two-decade pause, an official ministerial spokesperson said on Wednesday.

"A celebration will be held in the coming few days and attended by the minister of oil, Hussein al-Shahrestani, on the occasion of the launch of the quake survey in al-Gharaf field in Thi Qar's capital city of Nassiriya…," Assem Jihad told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

The survey will be conducted by one of three ministerial teams that have been recently set up to undertake exploration work, Jihad said, noting that the teams are comprised of engineers, geologists, geophysicists and technicians.

The spokesperson explained that Iraq's oil reserves is more than double the officially confirmed figure, which is 115 billion barrels, adding that the lack of exploration work throughout the past 20 years has played a role in the matter.

Aswat Aliraq

House of Representatives dismissed the Legislative terminate WITHOUT Voting on election law

MP from the Kurdistan Alliance Mohsen Al, "Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud scene decided to lift the parliamentary session, to this day Wednesday, announcing the end of the current legislative without voting on the law of provincial council elections."

He said in an interview with Al-Sadoun "Uzmatik," after noon today, Wednesday, that "failure of the parliamentary blocs to approve the subject of dialogue Kirkuk and the opposition parties insisted the new modifications to the electoral law led to the failure to pass the election law in today's meeting."

He added Sadoun, "the Presidency of the House of Representatives decided to form a parliamentary committee comprising representatives of all blocs and continue their discussions in the coming days in the hope of reaching a certain would pass the election law."

And the deputy coalition of Kurdistan "in the event that the Committee reached a consensus solutions, the chairman of the parliament will call for a special meeting to vote on the law, either in the case of failure to reach satisfactory solutions, the law will be discussed at the beginning of the next scheduled legislative chapter in the ninth month of September Next. "

The Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud scene decided to lift the parliamentary session yesterday, Tuesday, the day today, Wednesday, after unable to reach any agreement on the Law of the provincial council elections yesterday, Tuesday, a day.

It is noteworthy that the Iraqi parliament had voted, in the twenty-second month of last July, the approval of the provincial council elections law, which reversed the presidency one day after the approval, at the meeting raised a lot of controversy between the parliamentary blocs to vote because of their dependence overt and covert some of the paragraphs of the law , Which led to the withdrawal of the Kurdistan Alliance bloc of the meeting in protest against the method of voting.

http://66.102.9.104/translate_c?hl=e...Lz4JPcG4x g2Q

Iraq Postpones Provincial Elections Vote

The Iraqi Council of Representatives today postponed voting on provincial elections bill because the parliamentary blocs did not reach to an agreement, Kurdish lawmaker from the Kurdistan Islamic Union bloc inside the Iraqi parliament, Sami Atroshi told PUKmedia.

“Presidency of the Iraqi parliament decided to establish a committee from heads of representatives of the parliamentary blocs to settle the conflicts concerning provincial elections .When an agreement is reached among the parliamentary blocs, the Iraqi parliament will hold an inclusive session to vote on the bill. However, if the agreement would not be reached, the parliament is expected to postpone voting on the bill until September,” he added.

PUKmedia :: English - Iraq Postpones Provincial Elections Vote

the aim of activating economic activity .. Regulate commerce (Iraq International Fair)

The company's director general of the Iraqi opposition Saturday, Gomaa said the company is studying very seriously and establishing specialized exhibitions on the territory of the Baghdad International Fair aim to activate economic and commercial activity for Iraq and its new directions in government reconstruction.

The General Manager of the company that plans in the light of the ministry and its future directions, the intention is to establish Iraq's international exhibition for the period from 10 - next on Nov. 15 under the slogan (workshop of international cooperation for reconstruction and investment) and after the great success achieved by the exhibition industry and the first national trade mounted in the ground Baghdad International Exhibition support from Trade Minister Dr.. Sudanese farmer Hassan Abdel through last May.

The General Manager of the company that first experiment in terms produced a positive impression of a successful plans for the organization and installation of specialized exhibitions in future, therefore, the intention is to establish (international exhibition Iraq) that separates a group of international business and in coordination with the Iraqi opposition and with the participation of all Iraqi ministries concerned. He explained: "This exhibition coincides with the announcement of a Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in 2008 (In investment) and the opening up of Iraq and the Surrounding Arab Bank and the desire of many countries to enter and invest in promising Iraqi market "..

Translated version of http://www.almadapaper.com/paper.php?source=akbar&page=107

Investing in (the mind) oil

Iraq today is the oil tycoon who has not yet awake, as the oil sector has the capacity of mankind have a good history of excellent job in the Iraqi oil industry was hope large role in establishing the Arab oil industry and several signs that, but we have suffered since the announcement of the dismantling of the Iraqi National Oil Company in 1987, To end the investment and mechanisms for the success of the Iraqi oil sector, came the nineties to announce stoppage clear in the investment mechanisms in the human mind until it declared hours and came just change portends for the human mind after the Iraqi lack of appropriate conditions for success leave outside Iraq.

But the question, which is taking place in Bal every Iraqi is not incumbent upon today to re-experience the seventies and the revival of this great business entity in its effects and mechanisms of work, but all indications Chi that even in the event of a return of the entity for the great work will serve as work in the past so as to lack the capability and capacity Human

am to say that Iraq was emptied of brains mature and capable of keeping pace with the march to the development of the oil industry, but pointed out that exchange of experiences in Iraq and left for various reasons, so I invite government and the Iraqi Oil Ministry to give serious thought to the real needs of Iraq "University Iraq oil-and gas" and that We will be to attract oil and gas experts Iraqis at home and abroad calling on the Iraqis to contribute to sustained oil and gas industry first new human minds and courses devoted to develop competencies working in this sector II, and open the door area of cooperation between the Ministry and the oil company to be formed between the future and the "University of Iraq Oil and gas "on the one hand and, on the second opening to test the advanced countries in the field of oil and gas industry Kalnorreg and the United States, Spain and Saudi Arabia, Japan, France, Russia and the United Kingdom, for example, to develop human resources to keep up with university students and postgraduate global developments in these strategic industries in the world.

Furthermore, we now need to be real familiar with the included oil industries and scientific divisions deployed in each university Iraqi petroleum and chemical engineering, geological sections, etc. of scientific and trying to harmonize the University Institute of Oil and Iraq's oil and gas, not to mention the need to open a special section of the economics of oil in order to contribute to LRFD The ministry or the Iraqi oil company or oil companies, the Ministry's capabilities keep pace with new mentalities of the evolution of world oil markets.

So keep an open invitation in this area, and we expect that the oil and gas industry will not succeed and permanence only through the principle of reason to invest in Iraqi oil, and for us in our past experience through the Institute of Oil and the University of Baghdad not to mention the successes of the fellowship that deviated and returned to Iraq a development of sectors.

Translated version of http://www.almadapaper.com/paper.php?source=akbar&page=107

the planning: a package of initiatives to implement projects investment budget

The Minister of Planning and Development Cooperation, Thursday, the ministry's intention to launch a package of initiatives on government investment projects through the amendment of regulations for the implementation of projects and contracts the investment budget in the coming period. He explained the two doors, at a press conference held at the ministry headquarters in Baghdad, that his ministry "is launching a package of initiatives on private investment projects carried out by the Government after amending the instructions of the e.x.e.cution of contracts for projects by contractors." He added that the two doors "package will be integrated before they submit to the Prime Minister, aimed at raising the level of project delivery by ministries and provincial assemblies."

The two doors to "modify the instructions to remove obstacles to the implementation of projects by expanding the powers of the work of contractors, but control by the organs of the regulatory body integrity and the Office of Financial Supervision and the competent departments.

He disclosed by Minister of Planning and Development Cooperation on the "commencement of work Administrative Court to entertain objections to government contracts," pointing out that it would take "an office within the premises of the Ministry of Planning and decision of the minister."

The two doors that "the formation and operation of the Court came at the recommendations that were submitted to the Council of Ministers on the work of companies in Iraq," where is "working to adjudicate in cases of government contracting with contractors implementing the projects."

The minister continued, "The work of the Tribunal is to achieve transparency through the control mechanism of contract with contractors with the government to implement the projects", describing the process of forming the court in the ministry's step quality.

On the other hand, said the two doors that he "got the Cabinet approval to begin rebuilding and rehabilitation of buildings and the former Ministry of Planning, which is located at the gate of the Ministry of Defence present.

He said that his ministry had "faced administrative and technical difficulties to obtain the consent of prime minister to restore the building and begin the process of rehabilitation, and the first phase of construction have been allocated $ 42 billion dinars and will work within a few months."

Did not reveal the length of time duration, saying only that "the Iraqi company started construction operations and rehabilitation." In reply to a question about the omission signing of the allocations amounts of consumer and investment in the supplementary budget announced by the Iraqi government a few days ago, amounting to 21 billion dollars, said two doors that came "because the amounts of consumer double the amount of investment, whereas the vision of the Ministry of Planning believes in the need to allocate funds for investment More than consumption, because the country needed to invest and build to absorb unemployment and the establishment of large-scale projects the country could recover through. "

He concluded by saying that "the motives of the Ministry of Finance and the allocation amounts of consumer double the amount of investment came to extinguish Iraq's debts and amounts of ration cards and to increase staff salaries, but does not prohibit the re-consideration of the budget and retrenchment.

For his part, the judge presiding over Sadik Aekili that "the court set up by the Ministry of Planning after coordination with the Supreme Judicial Council," pointing out that it consists of "membership of the Director General of the Contracts in the Ministry of Planning and a representative of the Federation of Iraqi contractors and another representative from the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce and Industry and take Building and the Ministry of Planning current headquartered. "

And that the work of the court "within a specific instructions of the Ministry of Planning and defined its terms of reference to contracts concluded in accordance with the draft budget, government contracts and excludes currency contracts funded by international institutions and non-governmental organizations."

And the work of the Court stated the Director-General of the Contracts in the Ministry of Planning, where member, said "the court began its work after receiving 11 a lawsuit, which was completed eight cases and the remainder under consideration by the Court."

The Saadiya Mohammed Kazem, the Administrative Court to consider the objections to the contracts of the Iraqi government "will work together with regulatory and accounting devices in the country of the Office of Financial Supervision Authority and the competent organs of integrity."

It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Planning has opened the Administrative Tribunal of work to decide on issues of contractors with the state, also began implementing the rehabilitation of B'nai Red Bridge located on the Republic, declared its intention to take new measures to facilitate the implementation of government projects.

The minister stressed the link for planning the development process to complete the process of contracting projects, thus declaring the opening of the Administrative Tribunal to consider the objections and complaints, cases brought by contractors and contractors with the state on contracts that they have struck in the event of breach of the conditions that have been agreed upon.

Declaring the intention of launching a number of ministry-making procedures to facilitate the implementation of government projects and investment projects to reduce the rate of low provinces particularly urged the public sectors to achieve economic development.

Translated version of http://www.almadapaper.com/paper.php?source=akbar&page=107

United Nations regrets the missed opportunity Adoption of the Law on the Election district councils

The United Nations Mission in Iraq regrets the missed opportunity Adoption Act provincial assemblies elected in the Iraqi parliament during the current legislative.

The Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud scene had decided to lift the parliamentary session, to this day Wednesday, announcing the end of the current legislative without voting on the election law provincial assemblies.

The deputy representative of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq Kelmor Andrew told reporters at the Iraqi parliament that "the International Organization Mission in Iraq will continue to provide full support for the holding of elections in the country, despite the missed opportunity Adoption Act provincial council elections."

Kelmor stressed that "the United Nations has provided everything possible to enable all Iraqi parties to reach an election law, can not in any way hold elections this year without approval in the current legislative" as he put it.

He Kelmor that "the United Nations Mission sure that the majority of Iraqi people are willing to hold elections as soon as possible," stressing that "the United Nations continues to rely on Iraqi leaders to reach agreement on the law as soon as possible."

Translated version of http://iraqalaan.com/bm/Politics/4332.shtml

Iran, Iraq ink customs deal

The Iraqi and Iranian customs signed a cooperation agreement to eliminate all obstacles between the two countries and to coordinate their efforts to establish a joint free trade zone, the Iranian news agency (IRNA) said.

"Managing Director of Iran Customs Administration Ardeshir Mohammadi held talks on Tuesday with his Iraqi counterpart Jasem Mohammad Attieh on issues of mutual interests," IRNA said in a statement.

"At the meeting, the two sides inked an agreement on increasing the working hours of border customs offices, holding monthly joint meetings, increasing the two countries customs transportation and establishing a joint free trade zone," it added.

"Mohammadi also voiced Iran's willingness to conduct joint economic activities," it also said.

"There is no obstacle to increasing economic and transit activities to Iraq," he declared.

Iran, Iraq ink customs deal - Middle East News

Iraq's oil legacy
Omar Al-Saadoon, senior associate with the Iraq Practice Group at Al Tamimi & Co examines Iraq's oil laws exclusively for Oil & Gas Middle East.

The 20th century has witnessed repeated invasions and wars in Iraq (arguably over its oil) and now in the early part of the 21st century, Iraq is in a race against time to use and sell oil to rebuild its shattered economy and infrastructure to global industrial economies who, despite their public desire for alternative sources of renewable energy, in reality depend on oil as the panacea to their current economic ills.

Iraq, after Saudi Arabia and Canada, has the potential to become the third largest oil producer in the world, with an estimated 115 billion barrels of proven reserves.

It is estimated there is up to another 100 billion barrels of oil reserves in the Western Desert of Iraq. The current Iraqi administration is now making overtures to multinational companies, providing a quasi-legal framework for cooperation to explore certain areas of Iraq for untapped oil reserves.

Overview

Iraq has around 80 fields, although only 17 have current production. The most important being Kirkuk in the North and Rumailah in the South. Most of Iraq's producing oil fields are to be found in the South. These producing fields are concentrated in the south - east of the country around the city of Basra near the Arabian Gulf.

Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that Iraq's oil and gas industry presently accounts for 95% to 98% of Iraq's gross national product by some estimates which will form Iraq's federal budget and help to fund economic regeneration and the country's reconstruction.

I understand that at the time of writing this article, Iraq has finally ratified the federal budget for the next fiscal year of US$70 billion.

Since the imposition of UN sanctions in the 1990s, oil smuggling, particularly in the South of Iraq since the US-led occupation in 2003, has until recently become a serious problem for the Iraqi Government as a result of ineffective administrative control over the oil fields in the South.

This problem was exemplified in the form of the standoff between the central government and Sadrist militias who exert considerable influence in the South with historical ties to Iran.

However, the Maliki administration, bolstered by rising oil prices, has retaken the south's oil fields and ports by stealth and purged senior management at the South Oil Company - which is Iraq's largest crude producing unit.

This development has surprised and seemingly annoyed the US Government. It is claimed the US has responded to Baghdad's manuouvreres by directing some of their military spy s.a.t.e.l.i.t.es on Iraq to anticipate any future deployments by the Iraq army.

It is interesting to note that Iraq's administration under the Coalition Provisional Authority promulgated legislation in many areas, but such legislation did not affect the oil and gas industry.

Perhaps world opinion and the US obligations as an occupying power under the Hague conventions, in particular the remit of an occupying power's authority to legislate in an occupied country had something to do with the former CPA's untypical restraint in promulgating local orders.

Following the handover of sovereignty to the Iraqi Government, political battle lines were quickly drawn over the issue of Federal as opposed to regional control of the country's oil and gas resources (including untapped oil fields) and distribution of revenue.

Constitutional shortcomings

The political schism, coupled with the need to quickly establish political consensus following the handover of authority to a new and untested Iraqi Government post Saddam, led to the ratification of an Iraqi constitution in 2005.

Iraq's oil legacy - Energy - ArabianBusiness.com

Making Kirkuk provinces persists in itself is a compromise which will have a national consensus

MP Abbas Al-Bayati met with a member of the Commission on Security and Defence in the House of Representatives and secretary general of the Islamic Union of Iraqi Turkmen morning today, Wednesday, 6/8/2008 MP Alaa Eddin TEHRAN Chairman of the Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy in the Iranian Islamic Consultative Council. It was in the meeting to talk about political developments in the situation in Iraq and the problem of Kirkuk, as well as bilateral relations between the two countries.

The MP Al-Bayati at this meeting that the Iraqi government was able to impose law and extend its control over all Iraqi cities and became the state prestige and ability to deal with all the breakers of law and improving political and security has become a reality and concrete in the near and distant, adding that Iraq has closed a chapter and the stage was The most difficult stages of historical undergone. Today is moving towards construction, reconstruction and provision of services and government of Mr. Maliki was able to establish sound foundations for building a strong Iraq, democratic rights aimed at serving the Iraqi who have suffered so much at the hands of authoritarian regimes and dictatorships.

He went on to say: that the national government in Iraq has also been able to increase staff salaries by 100 percent, as well as to increase the salaries of retirees and to improve the conditions of appointment in the diplomatic career.

The Secretary General of the Islamic Union of Iraqi Turkmen on the other side of his speech that the problem of Kirkuk concern to all Iraqis, especially in these days and that this problem has two dimensions, having regard to the final solution to the issue of Kirkuk, and yet another on paranoia in the election law Kirkuk provincial assemblies. He pointed to the widening circle who support making Kirkuk provinces separate stand-alone share power in which all components are consensual patients, and on the basis of equitable distribution and 32 per cent for each component.

The statement expressed hope that this is a compromise solution which lays the foundations for sound and correct the problem of Kirkuk, which will have a national consensus affirming that a just solution to the problem of Kirkuk will affect the success of the democratic experiment in Baghdad and the development of relations and coexistence between the components and on Iraq's relationship with regional and international levels and should not Underestimate the status of Kirkuk issue is very sensitive and accurate.

In another aspect of modern Al-Bayati said Iraq had fixed national principles for the holding of any agreement or understanding with other countries including the U.S., Britain and other nations, the first principle; that this Convention does not affect the sovereignty and independence of Iraq. The second principle is that mutual understanding and national harmony unanimously by all components of political and parliamentary blocs. The third principle of transparency and to inform the Iraqi people on the details of this understanding. A fourth principle that any agreement or understanding to the House of Representatives and obtain his consent.

The Al-Bayati said: "We might enter in any agreement or understanding could be affected by neighboring countries, we will not allow any third State to determine trends in our relations with neighboring countries. Adding that the Iraqis appreciate the role of all the neighboring countries for their security, political and economic cooperation with Iraq and help the Iraqi people to overcome their ordeal.

He called a member of the Commission on Security and Defence in the House of Iranian companies to enter the market reconstruction, especially as the security situation had stabilized and that Iraq believes the economy is free and open opportunities for foreign investments.

By the Attorney Ala'edeen TEHRAN that the Iraqi people possess enormous wealth, as it is not poor people but the peoples of the rich, and we are keen to establish better relations between the Islamic Shura Council in Iran and the Iraqi parliament, and the city of Kirkuk because of the specificity of the diversity and multi-national which , It is necessary to take into account these privacy for addressing the problem of Kirkuk.

The Chairman of the Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy in the Iranian Shura Council that some neighboring countries about the sensitivity of the situation in Kirkuk and the Iraqi people crossed a difficult stage and an improvement in its apparent and clear and we support the Iraqi people and chose the date of this people and full of revolution and uprisings, but the problem is that there are foreign forces We are on its territory and we would like to have good relations with Iraq.

Translated version of http://nahrain.com/news.php?readmore=19793