TNT:

Tishwash: A high-level delegation from the Kurdistan Region is participating in the Davos World Economic Forum.

The head of the Kurdistan Region's Department of Foreign Relations, Safeen Dizayee, announced on Thursday (January 15, 2026) that a high-level delegation from the Kurdistan Region will participate in the Davos Forum this year.

Dziyi told Kurdistan Media Network that the high-level delegation will hold several meetings and discussions with participating delegations during the forum.

He noted that during the World Economic Forum in Davos in the Swiss Alps, from January 19 to 23, political issues, challenges, regional and international changes, and economic issues will be discussed.

This year's forum will be attended by US President Donald Trump, leading the "largest US delegation" in the history of participation, as announced by the forum's president, Børge Brende, on Tuesday.

This year's forum is expected to be attended by a record 64 heads of state and government, along with 850 global business leaders, as part of a gathering of approximately 3,000 participants from 130 countries. link

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Tishwash: Dr. Mahmoud Dagher: The current stage requires the adoption of advanced banking methods and applications.

Financial and economic expert, Dr. Mahmoud Dagher, stressed that the current stage requires a serious shift from traditional methods to adopting advanced banking application models that include all operations and services without exception, stressing that it is no longer useful to continue working on traditional banking systems, but rather it is necessary to move to newer systems that are able to keep pace with the rapid developments in the banking sector.

Dagher said that this transformation requires, in parallel, competent human resources who possess the technical expertise and ability to manage and operate systems and applications with high efficiency.

He pointed out that fulfilling these requirements will open the way for providing integrated banking services without the need for direct interaction, in line with the nature of modern banking products, whether Islamic or traditional, which are managed today via mobile phone or computer, and will contribute to improving the quality of services and enhancing customer confidence in the banking sector. link

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Tishwash: The Central Bank Governor discusses with Oliver Wyman ways to improve Iraq's sovereign and credit ratings.

The National Team and the Technical Committee for Sovereign Rating held a joint meeting with Oliver Wyman Consulting. The meeting was chaired by the head of the National Team, His Excellency the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, Mr. Ali Mohsen Al-Alaq, and attended by Dr. Mazhar Mohammed Saleh, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Head of the Technical Committee, along with a group of experts from relevant ministries and the private sector.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss mechanisms for improving the sovereign and credit ratings of the Republic of Iraq. During the meeting, the most prominent pillars and key issues requiring work in cooperation with international rating agencies S&P, Fitch, and Moody's were discussed.

Emphasis was placed on the importance of applying the five pillars adopted in rating methodologies: institutional quality and financial strength, monetary strength, economic structure and growth prospects, political events and risks, and governance and overall stability.

The meeting also addressed the need to build a comprehensive economic and financial base for Iraq that reflects the reform process, institutional capacities, and future opportunities, ensuring its practical applicability.

Furthermore, the importance of direct and continuous communication with international rating agencies was stressed to enhance mutual understanding and achieve sustainable positive results.

This meeting comes within the framework of the government’s efforts to improve the image of the Iraqi economy and enhance international confidence, as the Iraqi government had announced in September 2025 the formation of the National Team for Improving the Credit Rating, which includes a select group of experts and representatives of various economic sectors, with the aim of raising the sovereign rating and supporting financial and economic stability in the country.

Central Bank of Iraq,
Media Office,
January 14, 2026 link

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Tishwash: After 19 years, Iraq officially returns its ambassador to Moscow.

The Russian presidency announced on Wednesday that Iraq will reinstate its former ambassador, Abdul Karim Hashim Mustafa, to represent it diplomatically in Moscow, 19 years after Mustafa assumed this position.

According to a statement from the Russian presidency, President Vladimir Putin will receive the credentials of Iraqi Ambassador Abdul Karim Hashim Mustafa, along with a group of other ambassadors, in a ceremony to be held at the Kremlin on Thursday, January 15.

Putin will also receive the credentials of the ambassadors of Somalia, Mohamed Abu Bakr Zubair; Gabon, Sosthene Ndimbe; Sri Lanka, Shobini Kaushala Gunasekera; Senegal, Stephane Sylvain Sambo; Rwanda, Joseph Nzapamoita; and Mauritania, Sidiati Cheikh Ould Ahmed Aicha.

Also, the credentials of the ambassadors of Algeria, Tawfiq Jumaa; Bangladesh, Nasrul Islam; Egypt, Hamdi Shaaban Abdel Halim Mohamed; Ghana, Kuma Stem Jeho Appiah; Namibia, Monica Ndilwaike Nshandi; and South Korea, Lee Seok-bae.

Ambassadors from the Middle East will also present their credentials to the Russian President: Bashir Saleh Azzam from Lebanon and Sami bin Mohammed Al-Saadan from Saudi Arabia.

Putin will also receive the credentials of South Korean Ambassador Lee Seok-bae.

The handover ceremony will take place in the Alexander Hall of the Kremlin Palace, as is customary.

According to the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, Abdul Karim Hashim Mustafa has been Iraq’s permanent representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva since February 2021.

Prior to his appointment in Geneva, Abdul Karim Hashim Mustafa served as Senior Undersecretary of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and also as Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Administrative and Financial Affairs. He also served as an advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister on international relations and diplomacy.

Mustafa was Iraq’s ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco and to the People’s Republic of China, and from December 2004 to July 2007, he was Iraq’s ambassador to the Russian Federation.

Abdul Karim Hashim Mustafa holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Grenoble in France, obtained in 1987, and a Diploma of Advanced Studies (Master's) in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the same university, obtained in 1984.

Born in Iraq on March 6, 1959, he is married and has three children. In addition to Arabic, he speaks French and English fluently. link

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Mot: No Matter What They Say!!!!