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

Talks resume Oil Law in Iraq

A spokesman for the Kurdistan Regional Government that senior officials in the Iraqi central government and others from the province, resumed their talks on a proposed new law on oil and gas this week, in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a step that aims to narrow the differences.

The spokesman said that President Gamal Abd-Allah territorial Government, Nichirvan Barzani, arrived in Baghdad on Saturday, carrying with him "a new proposal might solve the outstanding issues in the petroleum law with the central government." Recalling that it is more legislation that has challenged the Iraqi parliament and caused wide ripples, is the legislation " Law of oil and gas ", and continues to various parliamentary blocs so far on a final version of this project, which calls for fair distribution of oil revenues to the Iraqi people divided among three ethnic groups-Chairman: Kurdish, Sunni and Shiite.

Dawn and file disputes between the central Iraqi government and Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq against the background Oil contracts signed between the Kurdish government - in northern Iraq enjoyed autonomy - with foreign oil companies, which are considered contracts, Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein Shahrastani invalid. It quoted press reports that Abdullah refused to discuss the nature of the proposal but said that "flexible enough to resolve the outstanding issues". Abdullah added that the Minister of Natural Resources in the Kurdistan region accompanied by Barzani visit to Baghdad. For his part, the Office of the presidency of the Iraqi government news of the talks without giving further details.

Also scheduled to discuss the two parties could see the conventions export pumping one million barrels of oil per day Markets within five years, half the total current exports of Iraq, according to spokesman for the Kurdistan Regional Government. It should be noted that the Kurds who control three provinces supply the domestic market by up to 10 thousand barrels of oil per day, as they do not have the freedom to the point of shipment abroad. Despite the absence of a national law of oil, the Baghdad opened its doors to foreign companies to invest in this industry, and through discussion on services contracts in this sector in order to enhance their productive capacities that are at present 2.5 million barrels per day by approximately 600 thousand barrels.

The newspaper "New York Times "has reported this week that four giant oil companies are" paralyzed "and" BP "and" Exxon ****** "and Total" on the verge of concluding contracts in addition to "Chevron" and other smaller companies. And Iraq already has oil reserves of at least 115 billion barrels Oil, including making it the second or third in size over the world after Saudi Arabia and Iran. It is believed a number of experts to Baghdad can pump more than six million barrels of oil to world markets every day, making it also the third largest producer at the international level after Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia and Russia. However, Iraq's export capacity of not more than two million barrels now, after decades of wars and lack of maintenance, noting that the country had produced late seventh decade of the last century, 3.5 million barrels a day.

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

PM urges Iraqi professionals to return home

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday urged Iraqi doctors and other professionals who have settled abroad to return home in the wake of the improving security situation in the war-savaged country.

"I urge expatriate Iraqis to return, especially doctors and other professionals, after the improvement in security and the success achieved by our armed forces in enforcing the law," Maliki said in a statement.

He said those Iraqis living overseas must take the opportunity to help rebuild the country as the improved security situation has started to "tempt international companies to seek work contracts in Iraq."

Tens of thousands of Iraqi doctors, professors and other professionals left the country after the first Gulf War in 1991 and then after the 2003 US-led invasion.

Brutal sectarian violence that broke out in 2006 prompted yet more to seek refuge overseas.

Hundreds of doctors, teachers and professors have been killed in recent years in Iraq by armed groups.
According to the United Nations about four million Iraqis have been displaced, with half fleeing to neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Syria.

PM urges Iraqi professionals to return home - Middle East News

UAE holds key to Iraqi security

The UAE and the other GCC states have a role to play in Iraq’s security and now is the time for them to start building this new relationship, according to the US ambassador to Iraq.

Ryan Crocker, in the UAE for last week’s “Friends of Iraq” conference, with top civilian and military representatives from the United Nations, the Arab League, the European Union and 45 countries, said the “new Iraq” was an opportunity, not a threat, for its neighbours.

“I think this is a time for GCC both as an organisation and its individual members to consider what kind of security relationship they want with Iraq for the future,” he said.

“In the past Iraq was a clear and present danger. The world has changed obviously since then. The new Iraq has no intention of threatening its neighbours and I think it does present an opportunity, but one that can only be developed by the GCC individually and collectively and Iraq on a new security architecture for the region.”

The “Friends of Iraq” conference, convened to discuss the security situation in Iraq, ended up focussing on issues like education, governance and economic development.

Mr Crocker stressed the importance of the role of GCC countries in collaborating with Iraq on security issues. He said the US had no intention of establishing permanent military bases in Iraq.

“I would emphasise that Iraqis have been clear they will not accept US permanent bases on their soil and we’ve been equally clear that we’re not seeking them,” he said.

“There are a lot of good reasons for that, rooted in Iraq’s history as well as the regional context. But there is a role for regional states with respect to security and Iraq. If we look at the UAE as a member of the Gulf Co-operation Council it’s helpful to remember why the GCC came into being. That was to help the Arab Gulf states deal with what was then seen as twin threats, from Iran and from Iraq.”

At a US embassy press conference last week, senior officials praised the UAE for the leading role it had taken in establishing normal relations with Iraq. Earlier this month the country announced that it would soon name an ambassador to Baghdad. The announcement was made during a visit to the Iraqi capital by the UAE foreign minister – the first by a representative of an Arab country since the US-led invasion in 2003.

Mr Crocker reiterated US appreciation for what he called the important steps the UAE had taken in helping to “re-absorb” Iraq into the Arab fold.

“The UAE had a good deal to do with the inclusion of Iraq and what has been known as the six-plus-two forum – the GCC plus Egypt and Jordan – now is the six-plus-three, because Iraq since the last meeting in Bahrain in April is now part of that group. “So the re-absorption of Iraq into its Arab environment, which the UAE in many respects is leading, is a very important step,” Mr Crocker said.

“Iraq is a founding member of the Arab league. It’s a multi-ethnic state, of course, but it has an essential Arab identity and that’s always going to be there.

“So constructive engagement by its Arab neighbours is extremely important for shaping developments in Iraq and in the region.”

The appointment of a UAE ambassador to Iraq and the UAE foreign minister’s visit to Baghdad were important steps because Iraqis had felt “somewhat estranged from their Arab environment”.

It was also important for the UAE to have a platform from which to engage with Iraq: “In order to play you need to be on the field, and the UAE is on the field, and that’s extremely important,” he said.

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20080622/NATIONAL/727165539/1011/SPORT&Profile=1011

Parliamentarians objected to the assignment of contentious laws of the Political Council for National Security

A number of members of the House objection to the assignment of contentious laws to the political council of national security, stressing the legislative and supervisory role of the Parliament.

In this context, said deputy Mahmoud Othman, the Kurdish Alliance that the political council of national security consulting firm, pointing out that the Parliament in the event of reference will activate its role in the process of legislation and approve laws.

For his part, Deputy Kunadi we entities to influence political decisions in Parliament, adding that members of the House, affiliated to their parties.

Algerian MP useful support was expressed for the role of the political council of national security in resolving the dispute between the Iraqi parties.

According to parliamentary sources, the Parliament referred the many laws before the political council of national security before the legislation before the House of Representatives.

http://66.102.9.104/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&langpair=ar%7Cen&u=http://www.radiosawa.com/arabic_news.aspx%3Fid%3D1622633&prev=/language_tools

35 foreign firms win deals to develop Iraq’s oil riches

The Ministry of Oil has given 35 foreign oil firms the permission “to extract and develop” oil fields in Iraq, the ministry’s spokesman said.

Isam Jihad said more than 120 applications were made in response to offers the ministry had announced by the end of 2007.

“The selection of these companies was made in the light of expertise, their financial situation, environment-related issues and equipment,” the spokesman added.

However, Jihad did not make clear whether there was any competitive bidding by the companies winning the deals particularly the five major Western firms said to have already signed their contracts.

Many Iraqis are skeptical about Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP – original partners in the nationalized Iraq Petroleum Company or the IPC – as well as the U.S. Chevron. These firms, the ministry says, are to help Iraq add 500,000 more barrels a day to its nearly 2.5 million barrels currently.

The deals with these companies have already fanned mistrust and resentment among Iraqis who have always looked at their oil riches within a nationalist framework.

Jihad did not say whether the choice was competitive in nature and declined reassuring that any other deals would follow normal business practices, raising fears of backdoor deals.

The announcement comes as Iraqi legislators are still quarrelling over a draft oil and gas law. Iraq’s competing religious and ethnic groups thought no deals would be made before the passage of the law through parliament.

It is not clear which oil fields will be developed by these firms but Jihad said the ministry intends to announce the details in a press conference by the end of June.

“These deals are not investment deals. They are contracts for the development of existing and producing fields with the aim of increasing output,” Jihad said.

Substantial increases in output can only be made when new and currently non-producing fields are developed.

Iraqi Kurds, with a semi-independent enclave in the north, have taken matters into their own hands and singed deals with foreign companies to develop new fields in their areas despite outcries from the central government in Baghdad.

Azzaman in English

Iraq adds six more oil firms to those qualified to bid for future deals


The Iraqi Oil Ministry added six more oil companies to a list of 35 permitted to bid for future oil and gas deals, the ministry spokesman said Sunday.

Assem Jihad didn't provide the company names but said they are state-owned firms from Turkey, Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand, Angola and Algeria.

Last April, Iraq accepted 35 international oil companies out of more than 70 firms that applied to the ministry for permission to make bids.
Jihad added that the ministry is planning to issue another invitation for companies to submit their qualification documentation to compete for the development of smaller oil and gas fields.

He didn't say when the new invitation would be issued but said they would go out as soon as the ministry finished awarding the first round of tenders.

Baghdad is about to sign Technical Support Agreements, TSAs, with international oil firms to boost its current 2.5 million barrels per day output by 600,000 barrels.

The New York Times reported Thursday that Shell, BP and Exxon Mobil and Total were the four major companies close to signing deals, along with Chevron and some smaller companies.

Iraq sits on an estimated 115 billion barrels and it also has an estimated 112 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, according to the ministry — making it one of the most oil rich countries in the world.

Iraq adds six more oil firms to those qualified to bid for future deals - International Herald Tribune

World oil powers meeting in Jeddah reaches no immediate solution to roaring oil prices

The emergency meeting of world oil powers in Saudi Arabia aimed to deal with the world energy power crisis pointed out that there are no immediate solutions to the roaring record prices of oil.

Oil producing and consuming countries participating in the meeting called at the end of the conference to increase investments in all oil industrial sectors in order to supply world markets with sufficient quantities of petroleum at time. The meeting was attended by 36 states and 22 major oil companies as well as seven international organizations including OPEC.

Saudi King Abdullah Ben Abdul Aziz evoked during the conference the influential factors that determining oil prices while statements of Saudi Petroleum Minister Ali Al Nuaimi reflected consensus efforts saying talks are positive, constructive and objective.

The final communiqué called to increase development aids of financial institutions as well as international and national development rescue organizations in aim to alleviate the consequences of oil prices surge in unfavorable countries. Participants decided to hold a meeting in London at the end of this year to follow up related developments.

http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Economics...il-prices.html

Kuwaiti bank to finance sale of Iraqi m.o.b.i.l.e phone firm

The National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) announced Monday a finance package to support the sale of Iraqna, the Iraqi ****** phone unit owned by the Egyptian firm Orascom Telecom, to Kuwait's m.o.b.i.l.e Telecommunications Co (Zain) for 1.2 billion dollars.

'NBK formed a syndicate of 12 regional and international banks, and successfully raised 1.8 billion dollars, 150 percent more than the deal size, on behalf of Orascom Telecom,' the OpenDNS said in a statement posted on its website.

The US-led interim authority, which ran Iraq after the collapse of the former regime in 2003, sold licenses for the building of ****** OpenDNS networks to Orascom Telecom, Zain and a another Kuwait firm, the National m.o.b.i.l.e telecommunications Co.

Only Zain's subsidiary MTC-Atheer retained its licence after an Iraqi government auction in August.

Orascom's licence went to a Kurdish Korek group for 1.25 billion dollars.

Both firms later formed a joint venture worth 2.2 billion dollars, under which Korek was allowed to use the infrastructure of Orascom, the fourth largest Arab telecommunication firm.

In December, Zain announced it would buy Iraqna through its subsidiary MTC-Atheer.

'Zain will pay for the deal in two tranches of 600 million dollars each, one in 2008 and one in 2009,' NBK said.

The acquisition would give the Kuwaiti firm a total of seven million customers in Iraq, Zaini said in a statement last year.

Iraq's fixed-line telephone network was damaged by decades of wars and international sanctions, which made people increasingly dependent on cell p.h.o.n.e.s.

By the end of 2006, there were around eight million m.o.b.i.l.e phone users in a country with a population of 26 million, according to Iraqi government figures.

Kuwaiti bank to finance sale of Iraqi ****** phone firm

Iraq and EU to sign Cooperation Agreement

Iraq and EU will specify at September, date of their last round of negotiations, date of signing joint cooperation and trade agreement.

Brussels witnessed Friday the fifth round of this negotiations, Hussein Ma'la, head of Europe Office at Foreign Ministry, said.

Iraqi delegation at the negotiations was headed by the Ambassador Ma'la and Mohamed Aldourqi and Iraq's ambassador in Brussels, as the EU's delegations were headed by Houger Mingrelli head of Middle East office at the European Commission.

ÌÑíÏÉ ÇáÕÈÇÍ - Iraq and EU to sign cooperation agreement

Demand for the dollar rises further on Tuesday

Demand for the dollar went up further in the Iraqi Central Bank's auction on Tuesday, reaching $165.140 million compared to $86.175 million on Monday.

"The demand hit $18.07 million in cash and $147.07 million in foreign transfers outside the country, all covered by the bank at an exchange rate of 1,196 Iraqi dinars per dollar," according to the central bank's daily bulletin, which was received by Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

None of the 14 banks that participated in the auction offered to sell dollars.

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

http://www.aswataliraq.info/look/english/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrArticle =83470&NrIssue=2&NrSection=2