Thread: Archive - Latest News Think Tank - 15/01/09 - 04/05/09

KRG delegation visits the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The KRG delegation which includes governors of Sulaimani, Erbil and Duhok provinces visited the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on Wednesday, PUKmedia correspondent in London reported.

They were received Frank Baker in charge of Iraq’s affairs in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The latest developments in Iraq, Kurdistan region and the world were discussed during the meeting.

“The purpose behind our visit to UK is to be informed about the system of ruling in the UK, concerning their visit to UK, governor of Sulaimani Dana Ahhmed Majid told PUKmedia.

http://pukmedia.com/english/index.ph...=8908&Itemid=1

PUKmedia is one of the most credible media channels; another invention of PUK

Today head of PUK central media office accompanied by PUK politburo member Jalal Jawher visited the PUKmedia office in Sulaimani to congratulate the PUK staff on its sixth foundation anniversary.

They were received by Editor-in chief of PUKmedia, Karwan Anwar, PUKmedia journalists and staff.

Following presenting wreaths of flower, Jalal Jawher on behalf of the PUK politburo congratulated the Editor-in chief of PUKmedia, PUKmedia journalists and staff, describing PUKmedia as one of the most credible media channels and another invention of PUKmedia in the Kurdistan region.

On the other hand, many journalists today visited PUKmedia office and congratulated PUKmedia staff on its sixth foundation anniversary, hoping all success to PUKmedia.

http://pukmedia.com/english/index.ph...=8910&Itemid=1

US official: I do not expect deep substantial changes on Obama admin policy toward Iraq

Adam Early, media and cultural advisor at the US embassy in Baghdad Thursday exclusively told PUKmedia correspondent that there would be no fundamental changes in the US policy toward Iraq during the Obama administration.

http://pukmedia.com/english/index.ph...=8912&Itemid=1

Dollar demand down by $30m

Demand for the dollar went down by $30 million in the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) auction on Thursday compared to the previous session, registering $168.990 million at a stable exchange rate of 1,170 Iraqi dinars per dollar.

The previous session’s dollar demand had hit $198.555 million.

“The demand hit $28.880 million in cash, covered by the bank at an exchange rate of 1,176 Iraqi dinars, and $139.110 million in foreign transfers outside the country, covered by the bank at an exchange rate of 1,173 Iraqi dinars per dollar, according to a CBI news bulletin received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

None of the 11 banks that participated in today’s session offered to sell dollars.

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

http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=106823

Oil ministry denies Iran’s partnership in Majnoon field

The Iraqi oil ministry discredited recent mass media reports about Iran’s partnership in the Majnoon oilfield on the joint borders between the two countries, according to a release by the National Information Center on Thursday.

“There is no partnership with Iran in the Majnoon oilfield in Basra province,” read the release as received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency, pointing out that the meant border oilfield is Abu Gharb as announced by the ministry in the second round of licenses.

Arguments took place in February 2008 between Iraqi oil technicians and Iranian border guards after the Iranians prevented the Iraqis from resuming works to rehabilitate the Abu Gharb oilfield in Missan province, on the Iraqi-Iranian borders.

The Iranian side then justified the measures by saying that border demarcation landmarks disappeared due to the torrential rains that hit the area, calling for clear landmarks to indicate borders.

Abu Gharb, which produces 5,000 barrels per day (bpd), was developed and invested in 2007 by Iraqi technicians.

Iraqi lawmaker Mohammed al-Dayni on Sunday (Jan. 18) threatened to question Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahrestani over statements attributed to him about Iran’s partnership with Iraq on the Majnoon oilfield.

Majnoon, an Arabic word that means “crazy”, is one of the world’s richest oilfields, boasting a confirmed oil reserve of 23-25 billion barrels. It was named so due to its crazy abundance in crude oil under a small area in east Euphrates off the city of al-Qarna.

Works had started in the mid-1970s to invest it but came to a halt with the outbreak of the Iraqi-Iranian war in 1980 due to its nearness to military theaters. Iraqi oil authorities then had to bury the wells in that field out of concerns they might catch fire and consequently waste this wealth.

During the past few years, work had begun on the field, 70 km northeast of Basra, once again and production went up to 60,000 bpd.
The oil-rich port city of Basra lies 590 km south of Baghdad.

http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=106822

Specialists recommend that the local government to provide facilities for investors

Recommended by specialists in the field of investment Babil province, local government and official circles to provide facilities to investors and to change laws hindering investment, which is still in force.

Salah said Bahiyyah Babel director of the Center for the development of the business community that "the Center held in collaboration with the private enterprise of the United Nations and created investment in the province in which he called a conference of government departments to provide facilities to investors and to change laws hindering investment," he said, "The participants recommended the need to form a committee created Babel investment and its related entities to discuss the issue of rent and the ownership and duration of Almsatahp of land for investment, as well as to invite entrepreneurs based on the rehabilitation and development and modernization projects, according to the Investment Law and the formation of a committee from both formal and informal study of the realities of local investors and rehabilitation, and to activate their role and to examine the realities of investment in the province that The Committee shall submit its recommendations to the investment of Babel created to take advantage of them and calling on the parliament and ministries to accelerate the treatment of some old laws and regulations in force and which impede the investment process as well as the approach of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of the opening of Babel for investment and tourism as well as the call for the establishment of joint stock companies from the private sector to accumulate capital for the purpose of engaging in investment market Babel and the opening of the market for securities in addition to the call of banks to issue instructions concerning soft loans for investment purposes. "

He said "the conference addressed, among the obstacles faced by Almarqlat and domestic investment in Babel." For his part, General Manager of the Investment Authority in Babel Alaa spear "The province of Babylon, one of the important provinces of investment," pointing out that "opened the doors of the investment in all areas of tourism, agricultural, industrial and service."

"The sector investment needs to be continued support from everyone as the recent experience needs the proper environment to succeed," he said. He called spear services and related institutions in the State institutions to address the department to deal with the old laws and legislation that are still in force. Later, the body organized a seminar to attract local investments in the Babil. The director said the investment "that the Commission has established a To invite banks and companies to invest in the economic conservative, discussed ways to encourage domestic investment and the main problems and obstacles in this field.

The Engineer Alaa spear "to set up a body to call the economic and banking companies to invest in the Babil province, the presence of representatives from all banks operating in the province, as well as economic organizations as a Trade and the Federation of Industries and the Iraqi Center for Development of Trade and Investment Center and the status of funding and the business community and a number of businessmen". The symposium focused on the theme of the concept of financial efficiency are the limits and responsibilities of banks and the rights and obligations of investors, in addition to the role played by the Investment Authority in the achievement of this balance and to discuss Problems We must face them and find appropriate solutions. "

The spear that "these problems, including with regard to local investors Which we must find him opportunities to obtain soft loans, as the name should be considered as commercial and literary value to the investor, as well as loans that must be clearly defined whether the business is given in a short period or industrial loans Given a longer period, and the need to be an appropriate size of the loan guarantees. "

"We need to review with the Central Bank in the tariff approved for this interest rate and high prices caused by the reluctance of people borrowing from banks in addition to the difficulty of the procedure makes people often Hiljioa to EXCHANGERS However, licensees .. This is clear evidence of the inadequacy of banking performance. "

For his part, said Deputy Regional Director of the Bank of Baghdad, Saad al-Kazzaz, "was the discussion of some of the demands in the development of the basics in order to create a close relationship between the investor and the investment banks and the creation of the necessary means To maintain To strengthen the relationship of citizens to the investor the investor does not live in isolation. "

He stressed that "this workshop with practical steps more steps placed on academic paper if we are to the success of their contents."

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Odierno: Peaceful Iraq Elections Could Bring Irreversible Progress

One day after President Barack Obama pledged that America would begin to "responsibly leave Iraq to its people," Gen. Ray Odierno , the commanding U.S. general in Iraq , said that if the country held peaceful elections this year, the relative calm that had settled on Iraq would be "irreversible."

Iraq is to hold provincial elections Jan. 31 and national elections at the end of this year.

"If we get through this second set of elections — provincial and national elections — I think we'll be beyond that," he told McClatchy on Wednesday as he toured a sprawling marketplace in the poor Shiite Muslim district of New Baghdad. "We're slowly getting there now, but the proof will be in the elections. If we do that peaceful transfer of power, and there is peaceful conduct of legitimate, credible elections, I think that will be irreversible, frankly."

The area he toured once was completely controlled by Shiite militants who protected — and intimidated — residents.

Odierno spoke to McClatchy hours before Obama was to sit down with his top military advisers to discuss the U.S. military mission in Iraq and a likely escalation of the American military presence in Afghanistan.

However, because the Army and Marine Corps are stretched thin by the two wars, any significant U.S. troop buildup in Afghanistan requires a drawdown in Iraq , which in turn requires both continued calm and improved Iraqi Security Forces.

The elections this month could turn violent, especially in Nineveh province, where a Kurdish-dominated council leads the mostly Sunni Muslim Arab population, and in Diyala province, where a mostly Shiite provincial council rules a largely Sunni Arab province. Already, candidates have complained that the government in Diyala has issued arrest warrants for Sunni candidates for political reasons.

"Now what'll be interesting to see is what happens after the elections — the 60 days after the elections — for those where the elections didn't turn out quite the way they wanted them to turn out," Odierno said. "So what will they do? We hope they will deal with it in a peaceful way, continue to try to work with the elected officials. Or will some try to resort to violence? That's what we're prepared for."
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http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/43858

The Ministry of Oil: The Oil and Gas Law reassure international companies to invest

U.S. Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil Ahmed Shamaa, said that the oil and gas law, which will soon be in Parliament reassure international companies to invest in Iraq, warning that the delay in the adoption of law would lead to delays in the development of Iraqi oil fields.

The Chandler, in an interview with "Uzmatik" on Thursday that "the oil and gas law will encourage companies to invest in the extractive sector, which Iraq needs to raise the rates of production," noting that "the lifting of the oil production rate is not simple, because our fields were in a drop in oil production ".

Warned the Deputy Minister of Oil, that "delay in the passage of oil and gas law, may lead to the deterioration of the Iraqi oil production, and to Iraq's delay in the development of oil fields, especially the border which are not exploited so far."

The draft oil and gas law, which was approved by the Council of Ministers of the end of February last year, 2007, the distribution of the proceeds to the Iraqi territories, in accordance with the proportions of the population, also opens the door to foreign investments in the areas of exploration and investment of oil and gas in Iraq.

Chandler pointed out that "Iraq is the least productive of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, as compared with the attributes of a huge reserve."

He pointed out that "Iraq needs to develop oil fields, and to new investments, and requires new facilities and equipment, in order to raise the rates of production in line with the large volume of reserves."

The Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said the end of last year 2008 the start of the competition for the licensing of a second ten fields of oil and gas fields of Iraq's 78 fields, and expected to arrive in Iraq's oil production after four years to six million barrels per day.

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The stability of oil exports from northern fields to Turkey's Ceyhan

A source at the North Oil Company, on Thursday, that the process of pumping oil from the northern Kirkuk oilfields to the Turkish port of Ceyhan is stable, but not normal.

The source explained in an interview with "Uzmatik", that "the process of pumping oil from the Kirkuk oilfields to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, according to a stable rate of pumping an estimated 350 to 430 barrels per day," he said, at the same time that "the process of pumping without a normal, which reached to 450 thousand barrels a day. "

He noted the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity that "the decline in export rates, resulting from a decline in production in a number of oil fields in Kirkuk," he said, noting that "technical reasons to determine the cause of decline in oil production in those oil fields has not yet been determined."

The source revealed that "the company is currently working on updating the number of new wells in different areas of oil production areas in Kirkuk."

Iraq has issued approximately 450 barrels per day across the northern oilfields in Kirkuk, 260 km north of Baghdad, to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, a million and a half million barrels through the ports of Basra overlooking the Arabian Gulf.

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Two experts from the European Commission, overseeing the Iraqi elections

Seconded the European Commission of two election experts to Baghdad within the framework of the local council elections in 2009 and the move comes in response to the invitation of the Independent Electoral Commission in order to further contribute to the promotion of transparency and confidence in the electoral process in the country are due to be held on January 31, 2009 Many believe that it will be a big fraud.

Said Clarice Basturi political adviser in the Office of the European election experts that the task of providing the necessary inputs for steps to promote confidence, during and after the elections, he said experts would conduct a detailed analysis of the ongoing electoral process in Iraq and to submit reports to the Election Commission in Iraq, and to the institutions of the Union Union.

Clarice denied to make any general permits experts on elections at the same time noting that the task of election experts funded by the European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy.

The electoral assistance that comes as a natural result of the follow-up support provided by the Office of the political process in Iraq since 2005, where UNHCR has been and remains one of the largest international donors to Iraq as it provided more than 80 million dollars.

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