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

Iraq Invites IOC's to Oil Deal Workshops

The Iraqi oil ministry will hold a workshop in Istanbul on Feb. 12-14 for international oil companies interested in bidding for the country's first licensing round to develop one of the world's largest oil and gas fields, an Iraqi oil official said Thursday.

"The ministry will listen to proposals, comments and suggestions from oil companies on the bidding procedures and contract models of the first licensing round," said the official who is close to the first bidding round.
The ministry will study these proposals and comments and if it finds them useful it will adopt them, he said.

Iraq announced its first licensing round at the end of June, offering eight oil and gas fields to 35 prequalified international companies, including the world's majors.

The official said only companies which paid participation fees and bought a draft model contract, initial tender protocols and data for the eight oil and gas fields can attend the workshop.

So far only 16 international oil companies out of the 35 prequalified firms had bought these documents, but mostly the world's majors, the official said.

He said the draft contract model which offers oil-producing fields on service contracts could be modified in accordance with the outcome of the workshop and would be sent again to companies which bought the first draft contract.

Analysis of the latest text of the model contract reveals there was still a gap between the oil ministry and international oil companies on the draft model contract. The gap has been widened by the recent slide on world oil prices.

"Investing in an environment like Iraq isn't very tempting for international oil companies because of the recent dramatic slide in oil prices," an Iraqi analyst said.

The workshop aims to narrow the gap between the oil ministry and companies and for the ministry to issue the final technical service contract by April and award contracts by the summer.

The producing oil fields in questions are Kirkuk and Bai Hassan in northern Iraq, West Qurna -1, North and South Rumaila, Zubair and Missan in southern Iraq. The two non-producing gas fields are Akkas in western Iraq and Mansouriya in the center.

Baghdad hopes contracts for the fields, which are expected to run for 20 years, will help boost the country's crude production capacity to 4.5 million barrels a day by 2012 from 2.4 million barrels a day now.
Iraq also launched last month the second bidding round opening some 15 oil fields and 1 gas field for international investment.

Around two-thirds of the 35 companies that have been "prequalified" to place bids for the first bidding round are international firms like Total SA (TOT), Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), Lukoil Holding (LKOH.RU), Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB), BP PLC (BP) and Chevron Corp. (CVX).

However, some international companies are still reluctant to go to Iraq to develop the country's vast oil reserves, the world's third largest, because of violence and unstable security situation.

Iraq is planning to hold provincial elections at the end of this month, which could trigger violence.

http://www.oilandgaseurasia.com/news/p/0/news/3748

Kuwait is considering a summit of four files on Iraq

Iraq launched a ministerial delegation participating in the meetings of Arab foreign ministers in Kuwait, his talks with Kuwaiti officials to strengthen cooperation and bilateral relations and resolve the outstanding issues between the two countries.

While the summit's agenda will include the Arab Economic four files on Iraq's debt issue in the forefront of Arab Iraq, called on Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi yesterday, during his participation in the Doha summit devoted to the examination of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, launching a campaign for aid to the Palestinian people soon stop the attack.

According to sources, especially the "morning" positive atmosphere that characterized the meetings held yesterday between the ministerial delegation, headed by Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, with their counterparts from the Kuwaiti side, asserting that both parties agreed to resolve the outstanding issues between the two countries.

The delegation is headed by Iraq in Kuwait economic summit President Jalal Talabani, who will leave Baghdad in the next two days.

According to Zebari, the files of the reconstruction of Iraq and cooperation in the field of energy and investment would be a strong presence at the top of Kuwait, while the al-Rashid Mohamed Rashid, Minister of Trade and Industry of Egypt, said the side will hold consultations between the ministers of trade, finance and governors of Arab central banks in order to find solutions to the debt of the Arab Iraq and lifting the Iraqi funds in all international banks after the UN resolution, Iraq out of Chapter VII.

Kuwait is the first of its kind, will be the issue of the Israeli aggression on Gaza on its agenda, in addition to economic issues, the president, who held it was the summit.

And got "morning" on the outline of the final statement of the Arab Economic Summit, as would the development of educational, agricultural and health services and the reduction of unemployment and intellectual property, in addition to the issue of migration of young people and the problem of housing, poverty reduction and attention to tourism and the private sector and civil society.

Assistant Participants in the summit to achieve food security, expansion of natural gas networks and the development of energy sources, as well as water recycling and achieve the goals of free trade.

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The Doha summit to make recommendations to the Kuwait economic summit attended by most Arab leaders and kings, to take a unified Arab position of the Israeli aggression.

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Iraq's largest investment conference in Cairo

Said Egyptian Trade and Industry Minister Rachid Mohamed Rachid, Cairo in the coming weeks, will add the biggest Iraqi investment conference attended by a large number of agents and the Iraqi ministers and their Egyptian counterparts to activate the agreements and the signing of a new work for construction and investment in both countries.

Rashid said in a press statement published Saturday that the issue of Iraq from the important issues and the main focus of the summit meetings in the economic development and the first Arab.

He said there will be consultations between the side of trade and finance ministers and central bank governors of the Arab order to find solutions to the debt of the Arab Iraq and lifting all the Iraqi assets in banks worldwide.

He pointed out that there are many projects between Egypt and Iraq, as many of Egyptian investors are currently in Iraq for the implementation of housing projects, electrical and others.

He said there are up to the Iraqi - Egyptian joint working continuously for the implementation of the agreements signed during the past years.

http://translate.google.com/translat...adiodijla.com/

Bring down Iraq debt & support for reconstruction & investment is a space on top of Kuwait

The Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Iraq will take part in the summit, the Arab economic and political weight will be a large Iraqi delegation headed by President Jalal Talabani and the membership of the Deputy Prime Minister and several ministers.

Zebari said in a press release published on Saturday after a meeting with Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa said Iraq from countries keen to attend this summit and all the strength and weight because it was very important, noting that the summit would not be purely economic, but political economy at the same time.

He added that the issue of reconstruction of Iraq will be posed at the head of the Iraqi delegation at the summit, in addition to other topics related to investment and energy.

http://translate.google.com/translat...adiodijla.com/

House of Representative to convene meeting on Sunday to choose candidate for presidency of Parliament

The MP from the United Iraqi Alliance Abbas al-Bayati, the Iraqi Council of Representatives "has decided to convene a meeting of heads of political blocs on Sunday to discuss the issue of selecting a candidate for the presidency of parliament to succeed outgoing President Mahmoud al-Mashhadani."

Al-Bayati said in an interview with "Uzmatik" on Saturday, "It was to be today is the last day to resolve the issue of selecting a candidate for the presidency of the Iraqi parliament, but the differences and the failure to reach consensus among the political blocs have prevented," he said, noting that "the First Deputy Speaker of the House of Sheikh Khaled al-Attiya decided to convene a meeting of heads of blocs to discuss the issue, after receiving a request from the Accordance Front, giving them a grace period of 24 hours, to agree on one candidate to the presidency of the parliament. "

The leaders of political blocs in Iraq's parliament agreed last week to postpone consideration of the question of the selection of a new candidate for the presidency to parliament on Saturday.

Al-Bayati said that "if no agreement had been reached to provide a single candidate for the presidency of the Iraqi parliament in a meeting tomorrow, will be to resort to a vote on the candidates of the political blocs, and then win the candidate who could obtain an absolute majority of 138 voted."

The Iraqi List MP Osama Najifi said in an interview with "Uzmatik", on Saturday, that "the discussions and consultations among all political blocs are still ongoing, and there is no agreement on the provision of one candidate acceptable to all members of the Iraqi Council of Representatives," adding that " discussions could continue for two or three days, with regard to the selection of a candidate for the presidency of the Iraqi parliament. "

MP from the United Iraqi Alliance said that "the House of Representatives adopted the method of voting public by raising of hands, in the event was to provide a single candidate for the presidency of the Chamber of Deputies", indicating that in the event was to provide more than one candidate, "will resort to the method of voting by secret ballot," he said.

http://74.125.79.100/translate_c?hl=...7vO9PhhyRhHKaw

Osman demands include reductions in 2009 budget, the salaries of senior officials of the State

Student leadership and the Kurdish deputy in the Iraqi parliament, Mahmoud Othman, include reductions in the budget for the 2009 high salaries for senior officials of the Iraqi state, adding that the reduction in social benefits for the presidency was higher than the reductions, which included social benefits for the prime minister.

Othman said in an interview with "Uzmatik", on Saturday, that "the reductions in the 2009 budget should include the reduction of the high salaries of senior officials in the State", saying that "the salaries of these employees very high compared to the low salaries of junior staff," he said.

And Osman, a deputy from the Kurdistan Alliance that "the reduction in social benefits for the three presidencies were not balanced," adding that "the reduction in social benefits for the presidency was higher than the reductions, which included social benefits for prime minister."

Osman pointed out that "the House of Representatives have a lot of notes to the 2009 budget, which will be returned to the Council of Ministers for the formulation," adding that "a number of deputies demanded increased financial allocations to the provinces."

The deputy, Abdul Hadi al-Hassani, the coalition said in an interview with "Uzmatik" at the end of last month, "the Ministry of Finance was able to provide eight billion dollars due to reduced expenditures in the budget for luxury is 2009," noting that "the reduction included the allocation of the three governing bodies and social benefits , and the reduction of some rewards in the higher echelons of the State, as well as the pressure for the purchase and rental of private aircraft. "

http://74.125.79.100/translate_c?hl=...T5GzATrnbhdykQ

Exploring the future of the ration card in Iraq

The Center for market research and consumer protection at the University of Baghdad, a scientific symposium titled (foreseeing the future of the ration card in Iraq amid the global economic crisis) was attended by a large crowd of academics and those concerned with the future of the ration card ..Have been made during the symposium (17) in search focusedon exploring the possibility of future work program of the ration card, which is still the most important nerve in the needs of the poorer strata of the basic food items .. And Dr. Mona al-Musawi, director of the market research and consumer protection on the importance of the theme of the Symposium and the need to find solutions to get out of the situation focusing on the ration card Bmoisat attention to rule of the broad spectrum of the poor dependent on ..

Noting that the idea of the ration card was born after Hurricane Katrina in the United States of America, where the U.S. government created a program to support the affected families and the program did not include all the American people .. In Egypt, followed the style of the ration card was also in Kuwait as well, but this process is governed by the mechanisms .. Moussawi said that in Iraq there is no federal level of poverty ..Then Dr. Jamil Khalaf Plasm from the Faculty of Economy and Administration / University of Baghdad, looking up the title (of economic crisis and its implications for the Iraqi economy) has referred back to the low agricultural production and prices of agricultural products will continue to rise as long as the conflict between producing and consuming countries .. He left that we need foreign currency to restore the infrastructure and then came the issue of internal security, both of which constitute a financial burden on the state budget ..

And Dr. Abdul-Hussein Al-Anbuge of the advisers in the Office of the Council of Ministers discussed the theme (the ration card, which must be inherited reform), in which he referred to what slots bitter Balt_khasisat that are represented 6.5% of the total public expenditure budget by 2007 and 2008 the per capita share of the ration card $ 14 and up to the individual not to exceed $ 7 The State has been tasked to manage the operations of other import, storage and distribution as that was the most important activity is the President and the Ministry of Trade since the introduction of the ration-card system, and pointed to the Al-Anbuge distribution and mechanisms of the FTAA is that 46% of the families had not received their share for the month of October. .Al-Anbuge, said while he was talking about the economic reality that the policy of the central bank has a lot of deflationary pressure, and this is reducing the credit and added a double - we have reservations on this policy, as there is no relationship between the exchange rate and inflation in Iraq, where rising prices of items similar to the ration card in the market The exchange rate of decline in the case.. Al-Anbuge was then discussed in a range of alternatives for the phasing of the ration card, adding that the preferred option is to free the Ministry of Trade and contracting with the private sector ..

And Dr. Huda Hadi al-Azzawi, the finance ministry office in search of title (the trade-off between the sustainability of the ration card and the alternative options) in which it pointed to the negative aspects of the application of the ration-card program, including the high cost and poor quality of the elements of the ration card and the reasons for the smuggling of items of the card by the low prices as well as abolish the mechanical market prices affect the performance of the private sector .. They noted that al-Azzawi, the ration-card system worked to provide extensive data on population and create employment opportunities .. "Dr. Abdul-Hakim Al-Hussein of the Ministry of Agriculture said the country's wheat production is five million tonnes per year and this figure is not enough and it applies to Alclb, oilseeds ..He noted that the global food crisis was a warning to the government .. And Dr. Thaer al-Ani, in the search is marked (question of food security and to project the future of the ration card in Iraq) to the group in the forefront of challenges to what extent: the challenge of the Arab common market and the challenge of foreign debt and the challenge of IMF conditionality, adding that the challenge is the basis of Iraq's labor market He described unemployment as reflecting the most important causes of poverty in Iraq .. Al-Ani added that the Ministry of Trade is the engine of the economic system ..

The representative of the Ministry of Industry: The General Company for Vegetable Oils were blocking 85 to 90% of the requirements of the ration card and now fill 10 to 13% because of problems with the importation of raw materials that most of the oil industry is the import materials ..He then reviewed the spring, Dr. Khalaf of Economy and Administration College / University of Baghdad, he called the (road map) to give up on the ration card is marked in the search (the reality of the ration card and the prospects for the future), before the role of Dr. Mohamed Taha was confident from the Ministry of Economic Relations Department of Commerce, to make paper, which carry the title of (economic and social implications of continued or discontinued the ration card and areas of development) .. Baz made by the researchers, Dr. Baha system, Dr. Mohamed Isa Abdul Razak Research Center of the market and consumer protection in search titled (The role of displacement inside Iraq, displaced families in receipt of the items of ration).

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President stresses importance of strengthening relations with Lebanon, Syria and Turkey

Met with President Jalal Talabani at his residence in Baghdad, both Gawwadi Ala and Abu Abdul-Tekh Alborznge Omar, Iraq's new ambassadors to Syria, Turkey and Lebanon. President Talabani and wished the ambassadors success in their work and urged them to work to strengthen relations between Iraq and these countries.

Turning to President Talabani, the historical relations between Lebanon and the Iraqi opposition during the reign of Alambad system, stressing the need to strengthen relations with Lebanon on all levels. "The President of the Republic to the depth of relations with Syria in particular days of late President Hafez al-Assad, he said, adding that Syria was the first Arab state embraced the Iraqi opposition.

The positions of the time is in the interest of the Iraqi people, so we seek to strengthen relations with them. Dealt with Iraq the leading role of Turkey in the region and the strategic importance of Iraq, reiterated Iraq's desire to establish strong relations with Ankara.

Then praised Deputy Foreign Minister Labeed M. Abbawi, however, for the guidance of President Talabani of ambassadors on strengthening relations with the three countries, adding that the ambassadors work is important and sensitive at the same time and have great tasks that must be dealt with seriously.

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Baghdad Greets First European Passenger Flight in 18 Years

The first passenger flight from Europe in 18 years landed at Baghdad International Airport early this month when a Swedish charter aircraft touched down.

The Nordic Leisure airliner brought in 150 people, most of them Iraqis, resuming air links between Iraq and Europe for the first time since the United Nations imposed sanctions on Iraq after Saddam Hussein’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

More international flights are expected in the coming days, including one from Hong Kong, Iraqi Transport Minister Amer Ismail told reporters at the airport.

The pilot waved the Swedish flag as he was bringing the MD-83 (McDonnell Douglas) plane to halt on the tarmac of the airport.

Late last month, Air France-KLM and Iraq’s Transport Ministry signed a preliminary accord which will see Iraqi Airways taking off for European destinations and Baghdad airport being renovated.

In the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, the state-owned Iraqi Airways was hit hard by UN sanctions imposed against Iraq and its service declined rapidly.

After the invasion in 2003, the airline slowly resumed flights and today the national carrier flies to the regional capitals and major cities of Amman, Beirut, Teheran, Cairo, Istanbul, Damascus and Dubai.

The Iraqi government in May 2008 ordered 30 Boeing 737 commercial airplanes in an agreement worth up to 2.2 billion dollars.

http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/43442

Iraqi guards throw party for shoe-Bush-basher
Zeidi celebrates 30th birthday in jail with two-hour visit from brother, but concerns on his welfare remain.

The Iraqi journalist jailed since throwing his shoes at President George W. Bush got a visit from his brother Friday and a birthday party from his guards as he turned 30.

Muntadhar al-Zeidi, who has gained cult status for his bizarre protest, is in good shape but has been denied access to his lawyer, relatives said after his brother Maitham visited him for two hours in his detention cell in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. Al-Zeidi has been in custody since the Dec. 14 outburst at Bush's joint news conference with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Thousands demonstrated for al-Zeidi's release and hailed his gesture.

But concern was raised about his welfare after allegations that he had been severely beaten and tortured in detention. The case's investigating judge has said the journalist was struck about the face and eyes, apparently by security agents who wrestled him to the floor after he hurled his shoes, forcing Bush to duck for cover. Maitham al-Zeidi was not available to comment on the visit, but another brother, Dhargham, told The Associated Press that he was told the wounds had healed. "Muntadhar was in a good shape ... and his morale was high. Yesterday was his birthday and some patriotic officers there organized a party for him and brought birthday cake," Dhargham al-Zeidi said.

The case became a focus for Iraqis and others in the Muslim world who resent the US invasion and occupation. But it also embarrassed al-Maliki, who was standing next to Bush at the time. Neither leader was injured. Al-Zeidi had been due to face a trial in December on a charge of assaulting a foreign leader, which his defense team said carried a maximum sentence of 15 years. But an appellate court is considering a motion to reduce the charges to simply insulting Bush. Defense lawyer Dhia al-Saadi said it was a matter of freedom of expression. "Al-Zeidi's act was symbolic and in no way was it a murder attempt," he said, adding that he had been allowed to meet his client only once. "I submitted many petitions to the judge of the case and I expect to meet Muntadhar next week," he said.

Al-Zeidi's act of defiance transformed the obscure reporter from an employee of a minor TV station into a national hero to many Iraqis fed up with the nearly six-year US presence here. But his brother said information about the international wave of support had been kept from the journalist. "Some officers told him that half of the Iraqis were against him. But he was very happy when he heard that all the Iraqis support him. He even cried when he heard that there were demonstrations on his behalf even in the United States," Dhargham al-Zeidi said. The brother who met with Muntadhar al-Zeidi was taken by bus to the detention center, and two army officers supervised the meeting.

The journalist is currently being held alone in a comfortable room with a bed and a TV set, his brother said. "He is being visited frequently by doctors. The food is very good," the brother added. Al-Zeidi stood by his attack on Bush. He stressed that he meant no offense to the Iraqi prime minister but didn't want to miss his chance to send Bush a message, the brother said. "He said he could not wait until al-Maliki left the room to throw his shoes because then Bush would also leave and that historic opportunity would be lost," he said.

Muntadhar al-Zeidi actually feared he would be killed by guards after throwing his shoes and read his last prayers before going to the news conference, his brother said. "So for him it does not matter for how long he would be imprisoned," his brother said, "because the important thing is that he restored the honor of the Iraqi people."

http://www.middle-east-online.com/en...iraq/?id=29834