KTFA:

Samson:  Iraq: The Budget Law Enacted Will Reveal The Start Of Implementation Of The Chinese Agreement

13th February, 2021

Advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister Mazhar Muhammad Salih  said that the legislation of the budget law will reveal the start of implementation of the Chinese agreement.

Saleh added to the Iraqi News Agency (INA) today, Saturday, that project funds in the framework agreement with China are stabilized through the credit facilities provided by the Chinese side to the investment projects contracted, according to the same agreement, in the interest of Iraq, especially when oil revenues are low and Iraq's share in the same Iraqi-Chinese fund.

He added, "There are two positive indicators for the work of this agreement, which extends for about 20 years. The first is to place allocations in the federal public budget 2021 on the government investment side and about two billion dollars in favor of the agreement and its projects."

The advisor to the prime minister pointed out that "the second indicator, announced a good intention to implement 2000 model schools according to the Iraqi-Chinese agreement."

Saleh pointed out that "the legislation of the federal budget law for the year 2021 will reveal the start of implementation of the agreement and the resumption of work with it."  LINK

Samson:  Iran and Iraq launch direct loading and unloading at two border crossings

13th February, 2021

Khalil Heydari, Director of Customs in the Iranian Karmashan Governorate, announced, on Saturday, the inauguration of the direct loading and unloading of goods and goods at the Khosravi and Mehran border crossings, after Iraq gained membership in the International Road Transport Union.

Haidari said in a statement carried by Iranian media today, "According to a recent agreement between the two countries, transport trucks are allowed at the two crossings, direct loading and unloading, without the need to unload the loads and ship them from the borders." 

He noted that in the past, only tankers transporting oil and its derivatives were allowed to directly load and unload, but now all trucks that transport all goods and goods can do so, and the reason is that Iraq has become a member of the International Road Transport Union.  LINK

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Samson:  The start of the Iraqi-Jordanian talks to enhance economic cooperation

13th February, 2021

Started in Amman, today, Saturday, the Iraqi-Jordanian talks headed by the Minister of Industry and Minerals, Manhal Aziz Al-Khabaz, and his counterpart, the Jordanian Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, Maha Ali, to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries.

The Jordanian News Agency "Petra" stated, "The two ministers discussed, at the beginning of the meetings, which were attended by the Secretary-General of the Ministry Yusef Al-Shamali, the Iraqi ambassador in Amman, Haider Al-Athari, and a number of officials on both sides," mechanisms for enhancing economic cooperation between the two countries and maximizing the benefits of available opportunities and agreements. Signed".

The visit of the Iraqi delegation to the Kingdom comes as a follow-up to the visit of Prime Minister Bishr Al-Khasawneh and the ministerial team to Baghdad recently to discuss areas of trade and economic cooperation, integration projects that are being worked on within the framework of the Jordanian-Iraqi-Egyptian tripartite cooperation, and the development of integration mechanisms in sectors of common interest such as the pharmaceutical industry and pesticides. Insecticides and veterinary drugs." And the Jordanian Minister, Maha Ali, affirmed, "Jordan's keenness to develop economic cooperation with Iraq in the areas of trade, investment and others in a way that serves the interests of both parties."

Ali said, "We seek to develop economic cooperation between the two countries to include strategic projects that contribute to maximizing the potential of the two countries and in a way that provides commercial and economic opportunities for the Jordanian and Iraqi private sectors."

The minister appreciated "the depth and durability of relations between Jordan and Iraq, which have been strengthened thanks to the visions and directives of the leaderships of the two countries."

For his part, the Iraqi Minister of Industry, Manhal Aziz Al-Khabbaz, said that "his country's government is interested in strengthening economic cooperation with Jordan, removing obstacles to intra-trade and encouraging the private sector to establish investment projects in a number of fields."

According to the agency, the two ministers held a meeting with the Jordanian and Iraqi private sector to discuss available opportunities in the fields of trade, industrial integration and investment, in the presence of the President of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, Nael Al-Kabariti, President of the Jordan Chamber of Industry, Fathi Al-Jaghbir, representatives of the Jordanian Federation of Medicines Producers, President of the Iraqi Business Council Majed Al-Saadi and a number of Businessmen and investors in the two countries."

Al-Kabariti said, "Jordan and Iraq possess the ingredients for achieving economic integration in a number of fields, which requires redoubling efforts and continuing meetings at the government and private sector levels to improve cooperation fields."

In turn, Al-Jaghbir said that "Jordan has been associated with an economic partnership for many years with Iraq," expressing his hope that "the difficulties that limit trade exchange during the coming period will be addressed, which will also encourage the establishment of investments."

The visit will include the meeting of the General Authority of the Jordanian-Iraqi Company for Industry tomorrow, Sunday, to speed up the procedures of the feasibility study for the joint economic zone, which is one of the projects that are being discussed in the framework of tripartite cooperation. Jordan and Iraq are linked to a number of cooperation agreements in the fields of energy, agriculture, health, education, trade, and others, and the volume of trade exchange between the two countries last year amounted to about 448.3 million dinars.  LINK

Samson:  Turkey begins delivering oil tankers to Iraq on trains

13th February, 2021

Turkey began, on Saturday, the delivery of the first shipment of fuel tanks to transport fuel on board trains, which was manufactured in the state of Kocaeli (northwest) for the Iraqi Railways Company.

The first shipment included 50 tanks out of 400 manufactured by the Turkish "Criocan" company for the Iraqi Railways Company, with the aim of transporting Iraqi oil. The shipment took off after being loaded onto trucks to Iraq, in the presence of the Turkish Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Warank.

During his visit to the company, Warank said that the Kriocan company was established in 2009 in the "Gebze" region and is one of the most growing companies in Turkey. He added that the company exports 80 percent of its production to 66 countries around the world.

In turn, the company's board chairman, Tekin Orhan, said that the Iraqi railway company is currently implementing a project to transfer oil from road to rail. He pointed out that his company aims to deliver 100 tanks to Iraq until the end of this year, adding: “The Iraqi Railways Company decided to proceed with the implementation of its project by dealing with our company, and we are currently shipping the first 50 tanks. Until the end of 2022.    LINK

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Samson:  Iraq receives an official invitation from Russia to participate in the "Astana Path" conference

11:37 - 13/02/2021

On Saturday, Iraq received an official invitation from Russia to participate in the fifteenth (Astana Path) conference, to be held in the Russian city of Sochi, to discuss developments in the situation in Syria.

The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement, which it received "the information", a copy of it, that “Nizar al-Khair Allah, the Senior Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with the Russian ambassador to Iraq, Maxim Maximov, and during the meeting, an exchange of views on various international and regional issues of concern to the two countries, and the Russian ambassador delivered an official invitation to Iraq to participate. As an observer in the fifteenth (Astana Path) conference to be held in the Russian city of Sochi for the period 16-17 / 2/2021, which will discuss developments in the security, political and humanitarian situation in Syria.

The two sides stressed during the meeting, according to the statement, "the convergence of Iraqi and Russian views towards ways to solve the Syrian crisis and the need to find a political solution to it by restoring bridges of confidence between Syrians with their various orientations and without external interference.

The meeting also dealt with “the issue of Iraqi students studying in Russian educational institutions, and the possibility of excluding them from the ban imposed on foreigners entering Russian territory due to the Corona pandemic. The issue of Iraq obtaining the Russian vaccine (Sputnik v) against Corona virus was also discussed.” LINK