More News, Rumors and Opinions Thursday PM 12-12-2024
TNT:
Tishwash: Iran takes over OPEC presidency, Iraq as vice-president for 2025
On Wednesday, the Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) elected Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad as interim president of the organization's conference for the year 2025, and Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani as vice president.
Iranian Minister Paknejad told reporters about the 189th OPEC conference held via video today, "Various issues were raised in this meeting, the most important of which is Iran assuming the presidency of the next OPEC session in 2025," according to Iranian media.
He added, "In this meeting, the Iraqi Oil Minister was appointed as Vice President of OPEC."
The Iranian Minister expressed his thanks to the President of the Conference and the Ministers of OPEC Member States for their confidence and choosing the Iranian Oil Minister as President of the OPEC Conference in 2025.
"As the President of the OPEC Conference for the year 2025, I will commit myself to harnessing all my capabilities and doing my utmost to enhance the spirit of cooperation, cohesion, solidarity and progress in this organization," Paknejad said.
Yesterday, Tuesday, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) renewed the mandate of its Secretary-General, Haitham Al-Ghais, for another three years, during a virtual meeting held yesterday.
Al-Ghais took office in early August 2022, replacing Mohammed Barkindo of Nigeria, and OPEC decided to hold its next regular meeting on May 28, 2025. link
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Tishwash: Kurdistan Region signs trade agreement with India
The Chamber of Commerce in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, signed an agreement on Thursday to enhance trade with India.
The head of the Erbil Chamber of Commerce, Gilan Haj Saeed, told Shafaq News Agency, "The relations of the Kurdistan Region with India are old, and we always hope for the development of these relations in all fields. India is one of the main countries importing oil to Iraq, and likewise Iraq is a major importer of Indian products."
Haj Saeed expressed his hope that the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding today would be a good incentive to enhance the trade process between the two sides and to include all areas in a way that serves the common interests.
He also hoped that Indian companies would invest in the Kurdistan Region under the current investment law that provides great facilities to investors so that the foreign investor would be considered like the local investor with all privileges, pointing out that "the Kurdistan market needs investments in all fields."link
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Courtesy of Dinar Guru: https://www.dinarguru.com/
Mnt Goat “THE TURNING POINT: IRAQ’S LEAP INTO THE DIGITAL ECONOMY” This is...a shift towards better financial inclusion... Iraq’s transition to digital payments will unlock a range of economic benefits and I am told by my CBI contact that this is the precursor to the Project to Delete the Zeros...and the plan to end the currency auctions of using dollars to electronic transactions by the end of the 2024...in about 3 weeks... We...look forward to the initiation of the Project to Delete the Zeros, if in fact the CBI does intend to reinstate the dinar back on FOREX... Let’s all keep an eye for what happens when Iraq finally makes this huge transition away from using purely cash to all digital.
MarkZ [via PDK] I have gotten another report from another Iraq contractor saying that they are due to renegotiate rates on their contracts with the government of Iraq this week. So I am going to say that the rumors out there with contractors are true at this point. I am definitely hearing that a number of contractors are negotiating rates on contracts in the low $3 range. This has me exceptionally excited.
Good News: Baghdad Selected ATO Capital for 2025; USD/IQD 1310 to $1.00
Edu Matrix: 12-12-2024
Good News: Baghdad has been Selected as the Arab Tourism Organization (ATO) Capital for 2025. This is a big deal for Iraq and could be the beginning of massive tourism income.
Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani expressed his gratitude to everyone who contributed to this achievement, adding: "These initiatives aim to enhance service standards and modernize the capital's infrastructure to a level that reflects its historical and cultural stature and that of Iraq as a whole."
The ATO, or the Arab Tourism Organization, was founded in 1954 in Cairo, Egypt. Its mission is to promote tourism in the Arab states and coordinate all efforts to draw up a unified Arab tourist policy.
The organization provides members with all possible services and assists them in acquiring professionalism by supplying them with relevant studies and information. It also removes obstacles to the expansion of tourism.