"Sunday News" Posted by Samson at KTFA 3-14-2021

KTFA:

Parliamentary Finance expects a new date for approving the budget ... and this is the fate of the abundance of oil

03/14/2021 13:31:40

A member of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Sherwan Mirza, preferred to vote on the federal budget for 2021 this week.

Mirza told {Al-Furat News} that "approving the budget is very likely during this week, within the coming sessions," indicating that "the Finance Committee needs another meeting before approving it."

With regard to the price of a barrel of oil, a member of Parliament added, "The price of a barrel specified in the budget is a conservative one, and we do not know how it will become in the coming months." He pointed out that "when there is financial abundance, it goes to cover the deficit."

Earlier, the Speaker of Parliament, Muhammad al-Halbousi, affirmed that Parliament was keen to proceed with the laws suspended in previous sessions, most notably the Federal Supreme Court Law, which was suspended throughout previous sessions. Al-Halbousi indicated that the draft budget law will be in the coming days within the council’s agenda to vote on it.   LINK

Samson:   Nassif calls for employing the budget surplus to finance the Faw port

14th March, 2021

On Sunday, Representative Alia Nassif called on the government to seize the opportunity of high oil prices to use the surplus from the budget to finance the Faw port project

Nassif said in a press release received by "Al-Eqtisad News", that "the current price of a barrel of oil and the recent rise in global markets indicates that there is no actual deficit in the budget, whether the planned price of the barrel is modified or not, and therefore the cost of the Faw port must be paid." And amounting to six billion dollars

She added, "Employing the surplus from the budget in this giant vital project will relieve the state of the burden of paying the amount in the future and make the executing company obligated to complete the project as soon as possible, noting that the revenues will come to the state treasury when the first phase of the port is opened    LINK

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Samson:  Crude oil prices are on the way to $ 100

14:59 - 14/03/2021

Analysts said that crude oil prices are on their way to highs not seen since 2014.

With the energy sector approaching its best quarter ever, with year-to-date gains of nearly 40%, Craig Johnson, head of technical analysis at Piper Sandler, said, "There are clearly signs of some hikes in additional oil prices."

Johnson said, "I can in fact see a number that could be higher than $ 100 a barrel, within 6 to 12 months from now," according to what he said to "CNBC", and seen by "Al Arabiya.net." He explained that the SPDR Energy Sector Index Fund is also showing signs of rising after the difficult year 2020. He cited a chart of the documents of the 23-stock exchange traded fund, indicating the formation of a technical figure indicating the rise represented by a double bottom and two tops. “We are seeing a multi-year reversal in terms of the performance of the SPDR Energy Fund compared to the S&P 500 and it is clear that there are some very positive trends happening here,” he said. "These are long-term issues and trends that are beginning to unfold."

With OPEC likely to keep production stable until at least the summer, Nancy Tengler of Lafer Tegler Investment expects a further rise in oil prices. She believes that with the supply not increasing until October, it means that the price of oil can easily rise from its current levels. Our expectations are somewhere around $ 80 a barrel for the summer, Tingler said.

For its part, JPMorgan chose Chevron and ExxonMobil among its best picks from among "major oil companies" on Friday, citing increased cost efficiency, and said that the balance sheet leverage could return to pre-epidemic levels this year.   LINK

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Samson:  The head of a parliamentary bloc suggests that the dollar exchange rate will change in the 2021 budget

19:30 - 13/03/2021

Head of Bayariq Al-Khair Parliamentary Bloc, MP Muhammad Al-Khaldi, on Saturday, suggested changing the exchange rate of the dollar in the 2021 budget.

Al-Khalidi said to the agency / information /, that "the parliamentary pressure to change the exchange rate of the dollar from its current position at 1450 dinars per dollar continued and did not stop, but rather doubled in recent times."

He added, "The high selling prices of crude oil and the improvement in the general economic situation have made the exchange rate remaining in its current position not compatible with the nature of the economic scene, especially since there are large segments of Iraqi society affected by the price due to the high prices of basic materials in the markets."

Al-Khalidi said, "The continued parliamentary pressure leads to a change in the exchange rate of the dollar in the 2021 budget, especially since many political forces have begun to realize the importance of the decision, especially since its justifications have disappeared with the recent rise in crude oil selling prices."

Several representative political forces continue their campaign towards restoring the dollar’s ​​exchange rate to its previous position, or at least setting an average price that reduces the financial burden on large segments, including the poor, due to the increase in food prices.   LINK

KBC123:  Wow!  Great find!  Thank you Samson!

Samson:  Renewed protests in Lebanon due to the collapse of the lira

19:16 - 13/03/2021

Dozens of Lebanese demonstrated today, Saturday, in more than one region of the country, coinciding with the record collapse of the Lebanese pound, in which it fell to 12 thousand pounds for the dollar.

The protesters gathered in Martyrs Square in central Beirut, and were joined by retired military personnel, who withdrew after a number of young men tried to storm an entrance to the Parliament and throw stones at the security forces, while Parliament police used tear gas to disperse the protesters.

The demonstrators also blocked Beirut Sidon road with burning tires, in protest against the deteriorating living conditions and the high exchange rate of the dollar.    LINK

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Samson:  Deputy: Negotiations with the Kurds on the budget will continue until tomorrow dawn

14th March, 2021

The deputy of the Saeron Alliance, Riyad Al-Masoudi, confirmed today, Sunday, that negotiations will take place with the Kurdish delegation and will continue until dawn tomorrow, Monday, to reach a specific agreement regarding the passage of the budget, while he indicated that the two most difficult articles in the negotiations are the tenth and eleventh regarding Kurdish oil.

Al-Masoudi said in a statement to "Tigris", that "the Kurdish delegation will conduct negotiations during the next 24 hours continuously with the parliamentary committees, political blocs, and the leaders of the three parties and presidencies. The negotiations will continue until Monday dawn, the day the political forces vote on the budget."

He added that "the negotiations may postpone the two articles on the proportions of Kurdistan until more in-depth negotiations are held, and that the threat to pass them by Baghdad with the political majority."

He pointed out that "the drafting of articles ten and eleven are the most difficult in the budget law, as they concern the proportions of Kurdistan and its Muslim oil to Baghdad through SOMO," explaining that "there is great political pressure on the Parliamentary Finance Committee to pass the budget as soon as possible."   LINK

MilitiaMan and KTFA Members "Under Pressure" Saturday PM 3-13-2021

KTFA:

MilitiaMan:  I like the way they hide the key point. "Until now".. So they slip in they have it sorted.. lol They are coming to town tommorrow. A day before the vote on the 2021 Budget is expected. imo ~ MM

Samson:  Parliamentary Finance: The government text related to the region and the budget remains unchanged

13:40 - 13/03/2021

Member of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Jamal Cougar, confirmed, Saturday, that the government text regarding the region’s share remains and has not changed so far, indicating that negotiations are continuing between the Finance Committee and the region’s delegation until next Monday.

Cougar said in a statement to "the information", that "the dispute between the region and the Parliamentary Finance Committee has not been resolved'"until now"'and that the government text remains as reported by the government, and no change has been made on it so far."

He added, "The negotiations of the region's delegation with the Parliamentary Finance Committee are still continuing despite the inclusion of the law on the agenda of next Monday's session," noting "the presence of positive indicators as compromises."

And a member of the Parliamentary Regions Committee, Representative Mudhar Al-Karawi, confirmed in a previous statement to "Al-Maalouma", that 80% of the political forces support the passage of the budget next Monday.   LINK

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Don961:  New changes to the exchange rates of the dollar attract the attention of the Iraqi street ... "big" consequences that economists predict

2021-03-12 Yes Iraq: Baghdad

 Wide anticipation continues in the Iraqi street for any new decision related to changing the exchange rate of the dollar again in Iraq and reducing it or returning it to its previous price, after the committee formed to study the consequences of changing the exchange rate announced that it will come out with recommendations to the Council of Ministers within 30 days.

While there is talk, anticipation, and demands for restoring the previous exchange rate, economists have highlighted major consequences that may occur as a result of changing the exchange rate.

Economic expert Manar Al-Obaidi says in a blog posted by "Yass Iraq", "There are a lot of discussions these days regarding the review of the exchange rate and whether it will be changed or not and return it to 1200," noting that "any change in the exchange rate in this near period will have great repercussions Including the loss of confidence in the Iraqi economy.

 He adds: "The exchange rate was made under pressure from the World Bank and the international parties supporting Iraq, and the process of returning the price will lead to a reduction in support from these parties." In the Iraqi market, it will make importers maintain a high exchange rate, fearing the possibility of a return to its rise. ”

 He explained, "The government should take advantage of the currently high price of oil to immediately start building industrial strategic projects capable of providing raw materials for manufacturing industries, which will support the provision of a local product capable of providing various products to the Iraqi market."

He stressed that "if the exchange rate had to be changed, it is better to move towards floating the dollar instead of the policy of controlling the exchange rate and depleting hard currency to maintain a stable exchange rate," noting that "what is required of the Ministry of Planning is to work strongly to clarify the sectors that most affect the rise in the dollar price And work actively to launch programs packages to reduce the impact of the depreciation of the dinar on these sectors, especially in the food and health sector.

He continued, "Work to issue a performance follow-up report for the development plan, which is the basis for building the country and activating the correct economic policies instead of focusing on monetary policy, which is considered supportive of economic policy and not the pillar of the Iraqi economy," stressing "the need to activate the 3 trillion initiative that was announced." About the Central Bank to support vulnerable groups and work to activate the ration card and improve its vocabulary.  link

Clare:  THANKS DON!....  “Wide anticipation continues in the Iraqi street for any new decision related to changing the exchange rate of the dollar again in Iraq”    MUSIC TO OUR EARS! imo

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Samson:  Al-Sadr's Alliance is distancing the Kurdistan Region from delaying the budget and disclosing other differences

13th March, 2021

The Saeron Alliance, supported by the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr revealed, on Saturday, that the dispute over the Kurdistan Region’s share in the 2021 budget is not the reason for the delay in voting on it by the House of Representatives.

The deputy of the coalition, Riyadh Al-Masoudi, told Shafaq News, “The problems and disagreements about the draft budget law for the year 2021 are not related only to the share of the Kurdistan Region, but there are technical differences, including the issue of the exchange rate of the dinar against the dollar, as well as the issue of including job degrees in the law, in addition to The surplus amounts due to the increase in oil prices, etc.

He added, "Until now, there is no agreement to pass the 2021 Budget Law during next Monday's session," explaining that "the inclusion of the law for a vote on it does not mean its passage or approval for that." Al-Masoudi ruled out "the possibility of passing the budget bill without the agreement of all political parties on it, but this agreement has not happened until now."

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Bashir Al-Haddad, had ruled out last Thursday the approval of the federal budget for 2021 at the mid-session next week. Al-Haddad said in a statement to reporters in Erbil that it is "difficult to pass the financial budget in next Monday's session because the Federal Court law has not been approved yet," stressing that another special session for the budget should be determined.

Last Monday, Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi directed that the budget bill be included on the agenda of next Monday’s session, based on a request submitted by Representative Yusef al-Kalabi, signed by 150 deputies.  LINK

MilitiaMan:  Even Sadr is stating that the reason for the delay is not Kurdistan Region's share of the 2021 Budget, but, that is about technical differences and issues with the Dinar exchange rate to the dollar. Well go figure.

They all know what the exchange rate means to the country. They have been very busy today about talking about the private sector and going global. To do so will require a strong exchange rate, at least not one at a program rate.

That would also mean they are about to be digital. There is significant evidence that there has already been work done in regard to the digital dollar and digital dinar. I find the timing of the articles to be by no coincidence.

The US Federal Reserve System had what is said to be an "operational error"  02/24/2021. We also noted that they were to be testing their systems pertaining to wire transfers, money movement through ACH Payments, etc.. Those testing times were said to be on 19th of this month, and even earlier to have been done on the 8th. 

The 19th is fast approaching. Does that day have a significance, I am not 100% sure, but, it is a date the Fed mentioned to be one of interest. Is it still now? We may soon find out.

One thing is sure imo, if Iraq is going to the global arena, which from the sounds of what we read today, they may have already started that process of opening to the outside world, as imo they know they have a time line to meet, hence the mention of it and it's urgency.

The digital world will require interconnectivity with like systems in place to communicate trade. Currency exchanges. All aligned accordingly. Salaries will need to be sorted by the 25th. Retro activating the 3 months of this quarter will need to be sorted as well accounting wise.

With that said, it is safe in my view to presume that the new exchange rate would precede any vote or there would be concerns of significant consequences from the people. That vote is slated for Monday, next and Kurds are showing up tomorrow for that reason. Thus, the payments for the months prior would need a rate to be allocated in advance. Not after the fact. imo.

So with that said, there is pressure from and on many fronts to adjust the exchange rate and soon.

It being prior to the vote Monday or not is only hours away, effectively. Even then the pressure to have it sorted this month, is imo view immense. Even the UN is pushing hard.. lol imo I like March in a big way. imo ~ MM

Al-Abadi said in a tweet on Twitter: "We have to meet the demands of the Iraqi people and not underestimate the demonstrators."   

"The deputy head of the committee, Qusay Abbas, said in a statement to "the information", that "the draft law on freedom of expression is awaiting its presentation on the agenda," indicating that "the legislation of the law has become an urgent necessity after the opening of Iraq to the outside world."

LINK

Who needs a digital dollar?

11th March, 2021

The idea of ​​a digital dollar has been on the horizon for a while. More recently, the idea was floated by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell. At an event in February, Yellen referred to the idea as "totally worth considering," adding that the Boston Federal Reserve, in conjunction with academics at MIT, was already doing so. In testimony he gave to Congress the next day, Powell described the digital dollar as "a high priority project for us."

LINK

The Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce signs a memorandum of understanding to develop the work of the private sector

The signing of the memorandum came in accordance with the strategy approved by the Federation Council for the year 2021, the capacity-building that the world is witnessing, the adoption of the principle of transparency in commercial work, and the adoption of the private sector with the global system

LINK

The United Nations detects the disastrous effects of raising the price of the dollar against the dinar

Fps and work to activate the ration card and improve its vocabulary.   link

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Don961: Adjusting the exchange rate of 1200 dinars ... Deputy: The decision is exclusively in the hands of two parties - urgent

7,366 Sweeteners 2021/03/13 16:28 Baghdad Today - Follow-up

Deputy Sabah Al-Ugaili confirmed that changing the exchange rate from its previous rate of 1200 dinars to its current price, which exceeds 1450 dinars, was made by a decision of the government and the Central Bank to reduce the large deficit in the budget.

"The exchange rate of the dollar has not changed as a result of supply and demand, but rather by a decision by the Iraqi government and the Central Bank to reduce the large deficit in the general budget. Therefore, these two parties are obligated to adjust the exchange rate of the dollar and re-raise the price of the dinar, or provide Support to the poor classes, which have been greatly affected as a result of the rise in the dollar. "

He added that "the survival of the dollar exchange rate in its current position in light of the deterioration of the living conditions of most Iraqi families will generate great political and popular pressure on the Iraqi government and the Ministry of Finance," noting that "the economic situation of Iraq has somewhat improved, and the percentage of deficit in the general budget has decreased by half due to The return of high oil prices, and there is no need for the dollar’s ​​exchange rate to remain as it is, because it has a great impact on the poor class.

Previously, a member of the Parliamentary Economic and Investment Committee, Nada Shaker Jawdat, denied that there was no real seriousness in Parliament to change the dollar exchange rate to the previous one.

Jawdat said to (Baghdad Today), “The talk about the lack of a parliamentary majority rejecting the adjustment of the dollar’s ​​exchange rate after it was raised by the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank, is inaccurate and far from reality. On the contrary, the majority with the exchange rate adjustment and returning it to What was it or less than what was stated in the 2021 budget bill. ”

She added that“ adjusting the exchange rate of the dollar against the Iraqi dinar remains within the authority of the Iraqi government, while Parliament cannot make any amendment except with the approval of the government, ”pointing out that“ until At the moment, there is no government approval for this amendment. Rather, there is an insistence that the exchange rate remain unchanged, and this is what the majority of MPs reject. "

Earlier, a member of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Jamal Cougar, confirmed that the political movement is still continuing within the House of Representatives, with the presence of parliamentary signatures submitted to the Parliament in order to restore the exchange rate of the dollar against the dinar or reduce the current price.

In an interview with (Baghdad Today), Cougar said, "The political movement in this regard is still going on, even there are requests that have been submitted with the signatures of a large number of members of Parliament to the Parliament for the sake of the dollar exchange rate."

He added, "These signatures remained unchanged, because the Finance Committee and Parliament do not have any authority to amend or return the exchange rate of the dollar," stressing that "this matter is exclusively within the authority of the Central Bank."

And he indicated, "The government is difficult to go in this direction, because changing the exchange rate or returning it to its previous price needs to reformulate the 2021 budget bill anew." LINK  

MilitiaMan:  “Obligated to return the exchange rate to what is was and what is stated in the 2021 budget.. “

Well that is the million Dinar Statement of the Decade imo lol.. What is that rate at which they speak? If it is the program rate, why hide it? They wouldn't.. This article Don is a doozy. Thank you! ~ MM

"Saturday News" Posted by Samson 3-13-2021

KTFA:

Samson:  The direct rail link with neighboring countries at the end of this year

13th March 2021

The State Company for the Implementation of Transport and Communications Projects has confirmed that the railway project will be implemented with neighboring countries before the end of this year

The general manager of the company, Zaid Khalil Al-Asadi, said in an interview with the Iraqi News Agency, which was followed by "Al-Eqtisad News", that "the rail link with neighboring countries is taking into account the interest of Iraq, in parallel with the construction of ports and the transit service, and in a way that serves transport work.

Al-Asadi pointed out the need for large financing and appropriation of the lands through which the lines pass   LINK

Samson:  Parliamentary Finance submits a proposal to settle petrodollars debts to the provinces from an increase in oil prices

17:10 - 13/03/2021

The Parliamentary Finance Committee announced, on Saturday, that it had submitted a proposal to calculate the accumulated dues owed by the federal government to the provinces from petrodollars, and to settle them from high oil prices.

Majda Al-Tamimi, a member of the Finance Committee, told Al-Maalouma that "most of the southern oil-producing provinces have financial dues from petrodollars owed by the central government, accumulated for several years."

And she added, "I submitted a proposal to calculate this money, especially the governorates of Basra and Dhi Qar, and settle it with the government to pay it from the increase in oil prices."

She explained that "this money can solve many problems and complete the provincial projects if they are removed from the hands of the corrupt and meet services and infrastructure."    LINK

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Samson:  The United Nations detects the disastrous effects of raising the price of the dollar against the dinar

09:11 - 13/03/2021

The United Nations World Food Program in Iraq revealed, on Saturday, that the price of the food basket has risen to 14% after the devaluation of the local currency against the dollar, while calling for formulating policies to increase the contribution to the gross domestic product.

"The World Food Program monitors food prices, including the average food basket of 2,100 calories per day," said the representative of the World Food Program in Iraq, Abdul Rahman Megaj, in a statement reported by the official Al-Sabah newspaper, which was seen by the information.

Megaj added,  He continued, “The World Food Program is working during the current year to reach 849,000 people across Iraq , through monthly support for the most vulnerable people, building resilience and school feeding programs, in addition to government support, including digitization and reform of the public distribution system for rations Food, as the work of the World Food Program is expanding in the south of the country, where poverty indicators are among the worst. The poverty rate in Iraq is about 31.7%.

He revealed, "The average price of the food basket has increased by 14% since the devaluation and is expected to remain at a new high level, which will directly affect the food security of the vulnerable population in Iraq , especially the displaced, returnees, refugees and other vulnerable Iraqis."

The representative of the program stated that “it is necessary to support imports of basic foodstuffs, to help reduce the impact of devaluation on the purchasing power of vulnerable Iraqis, and it will also be necessary to formulate policies to increase the contribution to GDP from sectors other than oil, and to reduce economic dependence on Oil exports by boosting domestic food production.

Regarding the ration card items, he explained that "according to the recommendations of the National White Book for Iraq, the focus of the public distribution system on the most vulnerable people will be necessary to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the system, and thus support the most needy families by providing the required foodstuffs monthly without interruption." He pointed out that "data-based decision-making and policy planning are also important and it is necessary to monitor food security at the national level and early warning systems, link main data sets and determine when action is required, which will allow Iraq to respond proactively to food security needs."

The representative of the United Nations World Food Program in Iraq said, “Although the government has taken appropriate measures, humanitarian and development actors in the country also need to increase efforts to mitigate the impact of devaluation on vulnerable groups. Additional support from countries will also be needed. The donor at this time”. LINK

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Samson:  Al-Fath: We are surprised at the financial and central submission to the pressure of the International Monetary Fund regarding the dollar exchange rate

15:30 - 13/03/2021

On Saturday, the Al-Fateh Alliance criticized the central bank and the Finance Ministry's submission to the pressures exerted by the International Monetary Fund regarding not raising the dollar exchange rates.

A member of the coalition, Hamid Al-Mousawi, said in a statement to Al-Maaloumah Agency, that “there are internal parties that do not consider the disastrous effects that the collective refusal to keep exchange rates will be the same,” stressing that “these parties put pressure on the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank to keep prices. The exchange as it is for personal purposes and mono benefits.

He added, "The insistence of the financial authorities in the state to keep the exchange rates as they are without serious and real scientific and economic study has caused the delay of many works and projects that are awaiting the citizen who has fallen victim to ill-considered government decisions."

He noted that "this insistence pushed the government to find solutions to compensate the contractors who were affected by the high exchange rates in addition to the small sectors that are close to collapse." He pointed out that "government losses in light of the current exchange rates will be greater and will exhaust future budgets, and we have presented evidence and evidence in this regard."  LINK

Samson:  Iraq loses European oil markets in favor of two Asian countries

03/13/2021 00:31:09

The American "Oil Price" website said that Iraq began to lose its share in European oil markets as a result of relying more on Asian buyers, especially China and India.

The site stated that the average share of Asian countries from Iraqi exports has increased steadily over the past three years, reaching about 80 percent of Iraq's exports through its southern fields in 2020. The site compared this percentage to what was exported during the past period, which included 60 percent in 2017, and 65 percent in 2018 and 71 percent in 2019.

The report revealed that China and India Asthozta on about two - thirds of Iraq's daily exports of oil, an average of two million barrels per day {1.05 million to China, and 0.9 million for India}. And the Ministry of Oil announced that the country's exports of crude rose to 2.96 million barrels per day in February, from 2.868 million barrels per day in the previous month. The ministry added that exports from Basra ports in southern Iraq amounted to 2.825 million barrels per day in February, up from 2.77 million barrels per day in January.

Iraq, the second largest producer in OPEC, relies on oil exports to collect almost all of the state’s revenues. It was severely affected by the decline in crude prices last year and had difficulty paying the wages of public sector workers. Iraq's oil revenues increased in February to $ 5 billion at an average price of $ 60.33 a barrel, compared to an average price of $ 53.294 in January. LINK

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Samson:  Who are the winners and losers from higher oil and commodity prices?

13th March, 2021

You might think that the world has made its way out of the Coronavirus pandemic, it might just be good news for governments and economies. Nevertheless, the rise in the prices of energy, minerals, and the resulting crops highlights the strengths of some and the weaknesses of others

Oil has jumped 75% since the beginning of last November with the start of major economies vaccinating their residents and reopening their doors after the pandemic led to the closure of factories and the suspension of aircraft. Copper, used in everything from cars to washing machines to wind turbines, is trading at levels last seen a decade ago, and food prices have jumped every month since May last year

The rise has been a boon for exporters, as the influx of funds is a welcome relief to energy giants such as Saudi Arabia and Russia, as their leadership faces domestic challenges that must be addressed but there are always two sides to trade. Some countries that depend on imports are feeling the pressure in the bond and currency markets. The rise in fuel prices cost the head of the Brazilian state oil company a loss of his job, and prices led India - the third largest importer of crude in the world - to call on the "OPEC +" alliance to increase oil production, and the inflation rate in Turkey rose to more than 15%

Goldman Sachs and some of its Wall Street competitors are talking about a super-bullish cycle for new commodities. This raises concerns of more harmful inflation in the future, and richer countries are not immune either and in the United Kingdom, the government is backtracking on increasing the gasoline tax so as not to anger drivers exhausted by the pandemic-induced lockdown.  In the United States, Texas oil exploration companies and corn belt farmers (in the US Midwest, where the corn crop is used to produce methane) could benefit, although others, including tech billionaires, come under pressure. Elon Musk appealed to mining companies to extract more nickel, a metal he needs to make batteries for electric cars for Tesla

Winners

The lockdowns and decline in commodities in the past year have weighed on Australia, which experienced its first recession in nearly three decades. But the government could see unexpected gains in 2021. Sales of iron ore, which is its largest export, hit a record last December, while wheat sales are close to the same level; Livestock farmers are struggling to keep up with the demand for beef. The Australian dollar has performed better than any other major currency since the end of last November, rising 5% against the US dollar.

Not everything is easy to navigate; The diplomatic row has caused China to ban Australian goods ranging from charcoal to copper, syrup, and lobster (known as lobster). However, iron ore is excluded from the ban, because Beijing cannot obtain enough steel components anywhere. This helped ensure that the trade war cost Australia only about $ 3 billion last year, a small sum for a country whose shipments to China ballooned from about $ 5 billion a year at the start of the century to $ 120 billion

The relative strength of Chile, the world's largest copper producer, was also evident in the financial markets. The peso is the only major currency in Latin America that rose against the dollar during the past three months, and it was among the most prosperous currencies in the world. The pandemic has pitted the country against a threat, as it has suffered months of violent demonstrations due to social injustice and the rising cost of living. The virus then turned global trade on its head, and posed the biggest economic challenge to Chile since its return to democracy three decades ago, and copper prices plummeted.

The deflation did not last long, as Chinese factories returned to work after the Lunar New Year holiday, and with red metal prices rising above $ 4 a pound for the first time in nearly a decade, Chile's financial conditions began to improve, and copper exports reached $ 3.9 billion in February, an increase of 42. % For the previous month

The same can be said for Zambia, which relies on copper for nearly 80% of export earnings. The country was in desperate need of money after it became the first country in Africa to default on Eurobonds after the outbreak of the pandemic. President Edgar Longo faces his re-election battle in August, and is trying to obtain a bailout from the International Monetary Fund, restructure Chinese loans, and stop rising food prices, which caused inflation to accelerate to 22%. The state bought Glencore's domestic operations in January at a price that seems more and more like an affordable price. Global investors are becoming more optimistic, and Zambia's dollar debt has risen the most this year among the nearly 75 emerging markets tracked by Bloomberg Barclays indices

All the oil-producing countries suffered in the past year, but Iraq emerged among them; Its economy has declined by about 11%, more than any other major oil exporter, according to the International Monetary Fund. The government was unable to pay teachers 'and civil servants' salaries on time, and Iraqis took to the streets to protest against power cuts, dilapidated hospital services, dilapidated roads, and a lack of jobs. The situation caused problems for "OPEC", of which Iraq is the second largest oil producer. Other members, including Saudi Arabia, criticized Baghdad for failing to cut production enough, while the organization tried to support prices

With the recovery of the crude oil market, Iraq's monthly financial revenues rose to $ 5 billion from about $ 3 billion in the second quarter of 2020. It is still far below what is needed to balance the state budget, but there is clear relief

Losers

China may be a big producer of everything from oil and zinc to food, but it is also the most important commodity buyer, and was almost single-handedly responsible for the last super-climb that ended nearly a decade ago. The rapid recovery of the world's second largest economy from the outbreak of the Coronavirus epidemic is one of the main reasons for the high prices of energy, minerals and agricultural commodities this time. The rise could only continue until now, before Chinese President Xi Jinping and the ruling Communist Party intervened. The issue of food security and pork prices appeared prominently during the annual parliamentary ceremony in China - the National People's Congress - this month. The government announced a five-year roadmap to boost crop and livestock production

As the largest buyer of wheat in the world, and as a net importer of oil; Egypt suffers badly whenever the price of basic commodities rises. It is also politically sensitive. Because millions of people depend on subsidized bread. The Arab Spring uprisings erupted a decade ago in part due to the increase in food costs, which led to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak from power who had ruled for a long time. So far, the government of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has managed to stem inflation. Egypt is trying to protect itself from rising oil costs by buying more hedge contracts in the market, and foreign investors are still buying up local bonds. But GDP will recover by only 2.9% this year, according to a Bloomberg survey of analysts, which is about half the level expected for the global economy

Rising food and fuel prices have already sparked social unrest in Pakistan. Opposition parties held nationwide rallies last year to demand that Prime Minister Imran Khan resign. His government responded by increasing the salaries of state employees by 25% last month however, the pressure has rarely subsided, with Khan narrowing to victory in a vote of confidence in Parliament this month. The economic impact of business closures and social restrictions to limit the spread of the virus will only worsen if goods continue to rise, in addition to the import bill for Pakistan, which produces barely any oil or minerals of its own

If big countries like Egypt and Pakistan are struggling in a commodity boom, then there is no need to think about smaller places on the map. The Dominican Republic may be the largest economy in the Caribbean, but its GDP is barely greater than the state of "New Hampshire", and high fuel prices hit before the main tourism sector has a chance to recover from the pandemic. The country with a population of 11 million people is highly dependent on imports. Other than petrol, diesel and vehicle fuel, it has to receive shipments of natural gas, coal, and fuel oil to meet the bulk of power generation. It has responded to the previous boom in commodity prices with food subsidies, which may be difficult this time given its onerous financial resources. 

The country's dollar bonds have slipped by 9% this year, making it one of the worst performing emerging market countries   LINK

KTFA Members "Thursday News" 3-11-2021

KTFA:

Don961:  Disclosure of the time limit to reduce the price of the dollar

10 hours ago   News source / NRTV

 Financial expert Mahmoud Dagher announced, on Wednesday, that it was not possible to make a new adjustment in the exchange rate of the dollar against the Iraqi dinar after only 3 months, just because of the high oil prices, stressing that everyone knows about the fluctuation of the oil market and its failure to stop at a certain level.

Dagher said in a special statement to NRT Arabia, today (10 March 2021), that "the adjustment of the currency rate is exclusively the specialty of the Central Bank of Iraq, and no party, whether legislative, executive, or judicial, has the right to interfere with it in any way."

He added, "The purpose of those claims is to exploit them to obtain electoral votes through statements that affect the street, but they are not issued by a competent authority that realizes the seriousness of the issue and does not know its repercussions on the Iraqi economy."

He explained, “The first change, which is a historic decision, as it was not possible to take such steps for years, and it was inaccurate and without planning and came after a great deal of pressure on the Central Bank of Iraq. The oil market is fluctuating and does not stop at a certain level, and in the event of a new decline in oil prices, what steps can representatives be taken by the representatives demanding to adjust the price?

He described these steps as "ill-considered and would lose confidence in the Iraqi dinar and make it difficult to determine the relationship between wholesalers and retailers because the commercial and investment relations are based on the future, ie the future deal."

Dagher pointed out that "instead of demanding an adjustment of the currency rate, it is better to float it, as happened in Egypt and Sudan, and this also would leave negative effects on people's lives as a result of losing confidence in the Iraqi dinar."

He continued, "The government can take advantage of the global increase in oil prices by repaying the loans it withdrew and reducing Iraq's debt, as the value of external loans reached 27 billion dollars and 62 trillion internal ones."

And he expressed his hope "not to borrow in the manner mentioned in the federal budget for 2021, which the government has presented, as these loans would burden the country and economically shackle it in the future."

With regard to talking about bank reserves, Dagher said, "The position of bank treasury is excellent, contrary to what is rumored about it that it is bad, especially in light of the high oil prices, as revenues have increased and we approached $ 55 billion, which is a suitable reserve to manage the affairs of the country."

More than 130 deputies in Parliament had submitted a request to the Finance Committee to make the exchange rate of the dollar 1,300dinars, against the backdrop of high oil prices in global markets. LINK

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Samson:  MP: Al-Kazemi and Allawi are exerting political pressure on the management of the Central Bank

12:08 - 11/03/2021

On Thursday, a member of the Parliamentary Economic and Investment Committee, Layal Al-Bayati, held two sides responsible for changing the exchange rate of the dollar, while the Minister of Finance, Ali Allawi, was accused of harassing Iraqi citizens with limited income.

Al-Bayati said in a statement to / the information /, that “Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi and Minister of Finance Ali Allawi are the ones who bear the consequences of the high exchange rate of the dollar against the Iraqi dinar,” indicating that “the prime minister and the Minister of Finance have exerted political pressure on the current Central Bank management by raising the dollar exchange.“

She added, "The Ministry of Finance bears full responsibility before the House of Representatives," stressing that "with the rise in crude oil prices and growing oil revenues, Minister of Finance Ali Allawi is still insisting on raising the price of the dollar and restricting Iraqi citizens, especially those with limited income, with completely rejected justifications."

Earlier, the Parliamentary Economic and Investment Committee revealed the intervention of the US Embassy in Baghdad to change the exchange rate of the dollar, which sparked a wave of popular discontent and affected the poor classes.   LINK

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Samson:  Dollar exchange rates affect the lives of citizens

20:13 - 10/03/2021 Books / Dr. Basil Abbas Khudair

The Minister of Finance says that changing the exchange rate of the dinar by making it 1450 dinars per dollar instead of 1190 dinars did not affect people's livelihood and their purchasing power, and we present a model for the effect, as the volume of soft drinks changed from 250 ml before the change to 185 ml, i.e. a decrease of 26%.

The situation applies to all the goods and services that are marketed in the local markets, from the loaf of bread to the real estate, so how do you say that the change did not affect the citizens and that it is just a shock that everyone will receive and it will pass in peace and the citizens will get used to it little by little, and whether the Minister knows or not, the capabilities.

The purchasing power of nearly two million retirees has shifted from 500 thousand dinars to 400 thousand dinars, and the standards of living for the entire population have been affected by 40-50% and the most affected by that are the limited and no-income who make up the majority of the population and who are increasingly affected and impoverished by unjust decisions imposing partial and total prohibitions without Compensation, and we remind those who have a conscience that oil prices are which finances the federal budget has shifted from 40 dollars a barrel to 70 dollars, which is the people's money.

Is it fair for the people to get poorer despite the high oil prices and to whom the differences go and most of the population live in excesses, randomness, and rent ?, And these questions need urgent changes and accountability for the offender and not watching over the suffering of the people, the International Monetary Fund and others are not covered by the fire of poverty, and they are not focused on the people's livelihood because Parliament and the government are supposed to be the owners of solutions and decisions.  LINK

Financial crisis hits Kuwait .. Bond issuance temporary solutions

10th March, 2021

The Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Investment in Kuwait, Khalifa Hamadeh, revealed today, Wednesday, a crisis and major financial problems facing the country.

Hamadeh said, according to the Kuwait News Agency "KUNA", that "the relative and temporary increase in oil revenues does not cover budget obligations and does not postpone or reduce the determination to pay for draft laws that aim to provide liquidity in the state treasury (the General Reserve Fund)."

 He added, “The issuance of bonds and other solutions are not reform solutions, but rather temporary measures that must be taken to fulfill the immediate obligations represented by salaries and subsidies, which constitute more than 71 percent of the total expenditures in the fiscal year (2021/2022) budget.”

He explained, "The break-even price in the 2021/2022 budget is $ 90," explaining that, "by the end of the fiscal year, total oil revenues must reflect the rate of $ 90 per barrel of crude oil per day in the fiscal year until the budget deficit becomes zero." And between, "the rise in oil prices in the past two weeks only does not cover the state's obligations, even if it continues at its current level throughout the next fiscal year that begins on the first of next April."

Hamadeh emphasized, “It is the right of the people of Kuwait to feel reassurance about the state’s obligations to them, and it is obligated to provide them with this reassurance and enable everyone to be able to financially plan by providing sufficient liquidity in the state’s treasury in a sustainable manner, not day by day or month by month.”

He stressed, “The need to address the scarcity of financial resources and the lack of liquidity in the treasury (the general reserve fund) as soon as possible, with the need to be accompanied by radical economic and financial reforms that contribute to reducing expenditures and increasing non-oil revenues.”

He expressed his “confidence in the cooperation of the National Assembly to overcome the obstacle and support the coming reforms,” adding: “We will spare no effort in strengthening this cooperation and extending its bridges by building a real and effective partnership between the two authorities and joining and integrating efforts to reach the desired goal.”  LINK

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Samson:  Russia is gradually moving to overcome its economy’s peg to the US dollar

11th March, 2021

Russia is moving forward on the right path to extract its economy from the effects of dependency on the US dollar, through a set of measures that it applies gradually.

Russia will break the economic link with the US dollar by expanding the use of local currencies to settle payments resulting from trade with many countries.

For example, 74% of payments resulting from commercial exchanges with the EEU countries are settled in local currencies, according to the President of the Russian Parliament (Duma), Vyacheslav Volodin (the EEU includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan).

Russia gets rid of the dependency effects on the US economy as well by reducing the share of the US dollar in its foreign exchange reserves. For example, the share of the US dollar and the European euro in the National Welfare Fund decreased from 45% to 35%.

The President of the Russian (Federal) Senate, Valentina Matviyenko, stressed in her speech to the media the need to reduce the dependence of the Russian economy on the US currency, confirming the decrease in the share of the US currency in Russia’s foreign exchange and gold reserves.

For his part, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergey Ryabkov, in his speech to "Bloomberg" stressed the need to get out of the economic dependence on the source of the ongoing hostilities. LINK

KTFA, Pimpy, Lynette Zang and more Wednesday Afternoon 3-10-2021

KTFA:

RE: Tuesday Night KTFA CC 3-9-2021 

DCDriver:  Great call tonight!! The only thing confusing to me is whether or not our 3 zero notes will have a time frame until they are null and void? I realize there will be a timeframe in country but it wasn’t clear to me out of country. If anyone can shed light in that it would be appreciated.  

Clare:  IT HAS BEEN STATED BEFORE THAT IT COULD BE UP TO 1O YEARS- THE CBI HAS TO GIVE NOTICE TO MAKE A NOTE NULL AND VOID AND THAT WOULD BE ON THE CBI WEBSITE AS WELL.  IMO

Harvestor:  WOWser tonight.  Thank you Frank and Walkingstick.  Only one thing I did not get clear.  Could have been just me not comprehending like I should.  When they go 1 2 1 in country, did I hear correctly that we investors will be able to exchange our dinars out of country?

Clare:  WHEN THEY GO 1-1 IT WILL BE INTERNATIONAL- YES, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO EXCHANGE  imo

Ross:  Next Monday is the 15th...the IMF announces rate changes on the 15th & EOM. Thing that make me go Hmm …. Next Sunday IMOO could be interesting.

Samson:  Global gold: America first and Iraq in 38th place in the largest reserves of the precious metal

10th March, 2021
The World Gold Council announced, on Wednesday, that the United States of America ranks first and Iraq in 38th place, with the largest reserves in the world of the precious yellow metal.

The council said in its latest schedule for the month of March of 2021, which was seen by Shafaq News Agency, that "the possession of central banks of the 100 countries listed in the table amounted to 35,244 thousand tons," indicating that "the United States of America ranked first in the largest gold reserves it possesses at 8,133 thousand Tons, followed by Germany, with an amount of 3,362 thousand tons, then comes the International Monetary Fund, with an amount of 2,814 thousand tons, and Italy comes fourth with an amount of 2,451 thousand tons, while Yemen comes to the top with 1.6 tons, followed by Haiti with 1.8 tons.

He added, "Iraq still maintains the 38th position in the world and the fifth in the Arab world with the largest gold reserves at 96.3 tons, which represents 10% of the rest of the other reserves," noting that "the last purchase of gold by Iraq was in September 2020, with an amount of 0.1 tons."  He pointed out that "the most prominent buyers of gold during this month are Uzbekistan, by 8.1 tons, and Kazakhstan, by 2.8 tons, while the main sellers were Turkey, by 17.2 tons, and Russia, by 3.1 tons."

It is noteworthy that the World Gold Council, which is based in the United Kingdom, has extensive experience and deep knowledge of the factors causing market change, and its members consist of the largest and most advanced gold mining companies in the world.   LINK

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Samson:  An economist calls for a speedy end to the disputes and preparation for the international turnout

18:25 - 09/03/2021

On Tuesday, a researcher in economic affairs, Yahya Al-Haddad, called on the political forces to resolve differences, end conflicts over gains, and move towards urgent elections in preparation for the international turnout on Iraq.

Al-Haddad said, in a statement to the information agency, that “the Pope’s visit to the holy city of Najaf in particular is a recognition of the great role that the reference plays in the security and political axis,” indicating that “it is a victory for the humanitarian role of the Shiite authority in Iraq in particular and the Arab world over Public face”. He noted that "Iraq, after this historic visit of Pope Francis, needs to be fully prepared and open new horizons of political orientations as it is on a new date of international interaction with Iraq in all files, especially the economic file."

He explained, "The political forces must settle their accounts and put the interest of Iraq above all considerations, because the next stage will witness a boom for investments in Iraq, and this process needs political security before considering any step, which depends on the size of the responsibility that the leaders of Iraq bear at this stage."

And he stated, “It is necessary to end all of the early elections and to speed up their conduct because they are a dangerous weapon that threatens every investment process in Iraq,” explaining that “the large investments of countries in Iraq do not look at public interests as much as they are concerned with the security of the region in which they operate and the extent of the decision’s ability Politician to tame that security.

He pointed out that "Iraq is fertile land, and the visit of the Pope, as the biggest leader of the Christian community, stimulated international business companies and began to talk in the media about large investments that will be presented to the new Iraqi government."  LINK

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Courtesy of Dinar Guru

Jeff  Article:   "Al-Kazemi: We have succeeded in crossing the economic crisis and an international readiness to support Iraq in reform"  Remember these reforms can only be launched and implemented after Iraq has changed their rate.  That's why since last year they're still talking about reforms...anything that costs money within the reforms can only be launched and implemented after the rate change...That's why the bulk of the reform is still pending and outstanding because it's waiting on the rate change.  That level of reforms requires Iraq's currency to be internationally recognized...

Pimpy    Article:   "Al-Halbousi directs to include the budget bill next Monday"  I think we are at a place right now where this negotiation is going to get finalized between Erbil and Baghdad and you're going to see shortly after that the budget go ahead and passed.  Something about the presence of the pope changed people's views on things and they decided to start cooperating which is very good...

Iraqi Dinar News for 03/10/21

Pimpy’s Investment Chat: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Icvp-i7kP7Ahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Icvp-i7kP7A

GOLD, INFLATION & VENEZUELA…Q&A WITH LYNETTE ZANG

Streamed live 57 minutes ago

Question 1:  Venezuela started by printing massive amounts of stimulus and injecting it into the economy. That devalued their currency to the point inflation began and it has not stopped yet. Prices rose to unheard of levels until today their currency in trashed. It now takes over 1 million bolivars to buy a cup of coffee. Are we on the same path? 

Question 2:  We are very close to retirement. Do you think it may be prudent to pay off all our debt now, rather than risk losing our cash by keeping it in the bank? 

Question 3:  If we go digital, why would the Fed want to back it with gold? It seems to me that they are trying to get away from Gold all together. 

Question 4:  Will the US currency ever again be as good as GOLD? 

Question 5:  When the reset happens, and we have gone digital, what will happen to all the coinage? Will they have to be turned in like the paper? Or will it become the new black-market currency? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_EnR66zJfQ

Frank26 Tuesday Night Video "Q&A with MM and Petra" 3-9-2021

KTFA

Tuesday Night KTFA CC

Frank26:  3-9-21......Q&A WITH MM AND PETRA

Guests are MilitiaMan, Petra and Walkingstick

REER = REAL EFFECTIVE EXCHANGE RATE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_X7hXuPJvo

KTFA Members "News and Views" Tuesday 3-9-2021

KTFA:

JJimmyJJ:  This isn't proposing to be a summary, it is only my opinion of what I heard tonight from Frank and Walkingstick (thanks guys!), so take it for what it's worth. If the mods want to delete this because it isn't official, I won't be offended. But, here is what I think I heard tonight about what the next parts of the plan are for the Iraqi dinar:

1) Planning is done.
They are done with the plan to announce 1:1 in country. The announcement of the NSCNs (lower denoms)  is part of that. No date for when they'll announce it all, but it SHOULD be soon--not months. More likely days or weeks. 

2) Benchmarks for 3-zero note recovery.
After the announcement of the 1:1 rate change and the NSCNs, they are going to be monitoring the rate of recovery of the 3 zero notes.  In other words, they have a target for how many "mattress dinars" are turned into the banking system. Once they recover a certain number count AND a certain monetary amount back into the CBI, this (along with other, unknown benchmarks) will trip another change of the rate inside Iraq (increasing the rate again).  No timeframe, but perhaps weeks or months.

3) 3-Zero note exchange deadline
There will also be a timeline given for when the 3 zero notes must be turned into the CBI (inside Iraq, not outside Iraq). If you are within Iraq and miss that deadline, your notes will be worthless. Once that deadline is passed, they will raise the rate inside Iraq again. Perhaps to around $4.25 to 1 dinar. No timeline on when this will happen.

Once #1 above happens, the demand within the international market will force the exchange rate for the Iraqi dinar outside Iraq to begin to rise.

Thanks again to Frank for his conference call tonight, and to WS and the other team members for bringing this to us. My apologies for what I missed and/or misunderstood.
Oh, and to quote Frank, all this is IMO

Clare:  NICE SUMMARY HOWEVER...I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT A CORRECTION.... FRANK SAID THE $4.25 WAS THE CAP INTERNATIONALLY IN HIS OPINON... 

AFTER THE 1-1 AT THE ONSET, THERE WILL BE ANOTHER RATE INCREASE INSIDE OF IRAQ. FRANK SAID THE RATE & TIMEFRAME WAS UNKNOWN OF THAT 2ND INCREASE.... imo

Monday Night KTFA CC:  3-8-21......IMO.....123......THIS IS IT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOkiFOKMU4A

TUESDAY -FROM FRANK....TONIGHT!!!   YOUTUBE WITH FRANK @ 7PM EST....

AND FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!!!....WALKINGSTICK WILL JOIN FRANK VIA EARBUD ON THE PHONE

TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM MILITIA MAN & PETRA ON LAST NIGHT'S INFORMATION!!!

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Samson:  Iraq declares an official holiday

9th March 2021

The Cabinet decided to suspend official working hours tomorrow, Wednesday, in the capital, Baghdad, on the occasion of the anniversary of the death of Imam Musa bin Jaafar al-Kadhim.

In a brief statement received by Shafaq News, the council excluded the service and security departments from the holiday.

In the meantime, the governorate of Baghdad announced the suspension of the official working hours on Wednesday and Thursday for all its departments, with the exception of health and municipal institutions, for the same occasion. 

The local government in the Iraqi capital said in a statement that the suspension of work hours will include all departments and directorates of Baghdad governorate, with the exception of health institutions and the municipality, to ensure the continuation of the provision of treatment and municipal services. 

The governorates of Maysan, Wasit and Karbala, which are predominantly Shiite, decided to suspend work hours in their departments and institutions tomorrow, Wednesday, for the same occasion.

The Imami Shiite Muslims in Iraq commemorate the death of the seventh imam, Musa bin Jaafar bin Muhammad bin Ali bin al-Hussein bin Ali bin Abi Talib on the 25th of Rajab every year, as millions of visitors flock to the shrine in the city of Al-Kazemi, north of the capital, Baghdad.   LINK

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Samson:  Iran is waiting for Iraq to pay its debts, and the Finance Minister: is on the list of priorities

9th March, 2021

The Iranian ambassador in Baghdad, Iraj Masjedi, held a meeting with the Iraqi Finance Minister, Abdul Amir Allawi; To discuss the issue of recovering the frozen Iranian assets in Iraq

The meeting between Allawi and Masjedi, which was held yesterday, Monday, dealt with the political atmosphere between the two countries and the mechanisms for paying Iran's financial demands from the Iraqi side, according to IRNA. In addition, Iraqi Finance Minister Ali Allawi stressed that "Iran's financial demands are on the list of priorities and that the necessary estimates have been drawn up in this regard

It is noteworthy, that Iran is asking Iraq sums of money worth 6 billion dollars, in return for its exports of electricity and gas to this Iraq. It is noteworthy that Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian said at the end of 2020 that his  country had received about 700 thousand dollars from Iraq in exchange for electricity and gas exports

Ardakanian added that during his visit to Iraq, meetings were held, and good agreements were reached regarding dues to export electricity and gas to Iraq. The Minister of Energy also said, (December 29, 2020), that Iran will pay for the purchase of the Corona vaccine from Europe with its own money in Iraq

Earlier, the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity warned that a number of cities, including the capital, Baghdad, are at risk of power outages due to the decline in Iranian electricity exports  LINK

Monday Night KTFA CC with Frank26: "IMO...123.....This Is It!" 3-8-2021

KTFA:

Monday Night KTFA CC with Frank26 and Team

March 8, 2021

3-8-21......IMO.....123......THIS IS IT

THIS IS ALL IN FRANK, MILITIAMAN & PETRA'S OPINION

PLAYBACK IS:  605.313.5163  PIN: 156996#

What Frank’s suit color’s mean…. FRANKS SUIT COLORS FOR CC'S..... WHITE = NEW INFO…. SILVER = INTEL FROZEN…. RED= HIGH ALERT… PURPLE=GUEST WITH US…. BLUE = AIR FORCE…. BLACK = GROUND/FF’S…. GREEN= MR OR FAB 4 ... GOLD = CHANGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOkiFOKMU4A

Some "Saturday News " Posted by Samson 3-6-2021

KTFA:

Samson:  Venezuela is introducing a six-zip banknote, worth less than a dollar

11:00 - 06/03/2021

The Venezuelan Central Bank announced that three new banknotes will be traded in the country as of March 8, in denominations of 200,000, 500,000 and one million bolivars.

Venezuela is experiencing a severe social and economic crisis in recent years, in addition to high inflation, the devaluation of the national currency, and a shortage of basic commodities. The US dollar has now reached 1.89 million bolivars.

According to the United Nations, about 4.5 million people have left the country due to the deteriorating

economic and social conditions, nearly 80% of them to neighboring countries. And the inflation rate in Venezuela rose at the end of last year to about 3000%.   LINK

Samson:  DP World signs an agreement to establish a port and a logistical area in Indonesia

6th March, 2021

DP World, in cooperation with the "Case de Depot e Plasman de Quebec", a global investment group, signed a long-term agreement with the Indonesian "Masbion Group" to start building an international container port and an industrial logistics zone in the Gresik region of Indonesia, with investments reaching Dubai Ports World revealed that the port, which will enhance East Java's position as the main commercial gateway to Indonesia, is expected to start work to implement the project in the third quarter of 2021

According to a press release issued today, Saturday, the signing ceremony was held in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, through a business forum under the title: "Towards Building a Path of Economic Recovery" within the activities of the UAE-Indonesia Week 2021

Under the agreement, a joint venture will be established between "DP World", the global investment platform "Case de Depot e Blasmann de Quebec", and the "Masbion Group". The agreement represents the first project of its kind in the Indonesian transport sector through which this type of partnership is established between a foreign direct investor and an Indonesian private sector company, according to the statement

The sole operator of the container port

The new company, named "DP World Maspion - East Java", will become the sole operator of the planned modern international container port, which will have a capacity of three million 20-foot TEUs. DP World and “Kiss de Depot e Plasmann de Quebec” will cooperate with “Masbion Group” to establish an integrated industrial and logistics zone next to the container terminal, with an initial area of ​​about 110 hectares, with plans to increase it in the future

Since its launch four years ago, the "DP World" and "Kiss de Depot e Plasmann de Quebec" platform, valued at $ 8.2 billion, has invested in 10 port container terminals globally and across various stages of the asset life cycle

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman and CEO of DP World, said: “The partnership with Masbion Group is an important development in our global network of ports and our logistics services, as Indonesia is experiencing rapid growth rates, making its economy one of the most important economies in the world. In creating a modern and highly efficient infrastructure, in addition to providing an industrial zone that provides high-quality logistical solutions

Surabaya is one of the most important ports in Indonesia, and the new container port is expected to contribute to enhancing economic development efforts and attracting more investment opportunities to Indonesia, according to the statement.  The actual operation of the plant is expected to start in 2023. The project will develop the infrastructure of East Java as part of the vision of Indonesian President Joko Widodo to accelerate economic growth through the strategy of "Indonesia's Golden Vision 2045   LINK

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Samson: UNESCO: Iraq re-sits on the throne of history with the Abrahamic prayer in the land of Ur

03/06/2021 11:27:53

 The United Nations UNESCO said today, Saturday, that the land of Iraq is on the throne of history, during a three-day visit by Pope Francis to Iraq. On its Twitter page, the organization published a picture of the Ziggurat of Ur, commenting on it with the words: "This is the land of Iraq that sits on the throne of history."

The organization indicated in its tweet that "Ur is an archaeological site in southern Iraq, and it was a major religious, political and urban center, and it witnessed the origin of monumental writing and architecture."

And she concluded by saying: "At this moment, Pope Francis is praying for all religions."
Earlier in the day, the plane carrying Pope Francis landed at Nasiriyah airport, after concluding his visit to Najaf, and his meeting with the supreme religious authority, Sayyid Ali al-Sistani.  LINK

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Samson:  Announcing the date of the first day of Ramadan, astronomically, in Iraq 2021

6th March, 2021

Astronomers expect that the blessed month of Ramadan for the year 2021, next will fall on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, and will end on May 12, 2021

The Arab Weather website stated that seeing the crescent after sunset on Sunday April 11, 2021 with the naked eye and telescope is impossible, due to the setting of the moon before the sun in all Arab countries, in addition to the absence of the crescent or the occurrence of conjugation, and according to astronomical calculations, the central conjugation (central conjuncture) will occur on the day Monday April 12, 2021 at 02:31 UTC, and therefore, on Monday April 12, 2021 will be the completion of the month of Sha`ban, and on Tuesday, April 13, the start of the first day of Ramadan 2021 in all Arab countries

As for Iraq, the date of sunset for the night of the Ramadan crescent 2021 in Baghdad will be at 6:30, while the date for sunset of the moon for the night of the Ramadan crescent 2021 in Baghdad will be at 5:57 , and therefore the moon will set before sunset, and the sighting of the crescent of Ramadan 2021 after sunset on Sunday is impossible

Therefore, on Monday, April 12, 2021 AD, it will be the completion of the month of Sha`ban, and on Tuesday, April 13, the start of the first day of Ramadan 2021 in Iraq   LINK

"Vietnam News" Posted by Samson Friday PM 3-5-2021

KTFA:

Samson:  Việt Nam climbs three spots in global soft power rankings

1st March, 2021

Việt Nam has climbed three spots to rank 47th out of 105 countries in Brand Finance’s Global Soft Power Index Report 2021.

Việt Nam was the only country among the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to improve its ranking this year. Its overall score was 33.8 out of 100 points, 2.5 points higher than last year, putting it ahead of the Philippines (53rd), Cambodia (89th) and Myanmar (90th). Among other ASEAN countries, Singapore was 20th, Thailand 33rd, Malaysia 39th, and Indonesia 45th.

According to Brand Finance, the improvement was largely due to the fact that Việt Nam has managed the COVID-19 pandemic extremely well. “ViệtNam was spared a year of lockdowns and besieged hospitals, and has one of the lowest COVID-19 infection and death rates in the world,” the report said. “Not only is the response to the pandemic impressive – given its shared border with China – but Việt Nam also experienced one of the highest economic growth rates globally in 2020 – one of a handful of countries with positive growth in 2020.”

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has approved the Việt Nam National Brand Programme from 2020 to 2030, which aims to increase the value and ranking of the national brand while targeting more than 1,000 products to become strong national brands. The brands from the country are managed through efforts and initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Department of Trade Promotion (Vietrade), under their 'Việt Nam Value' programme.

At a national level, Việt Nam has established diplomatic relations with 187 out of 193 member states of the United Nations and completed the process of negotiating and signing new-generation free trade agreements, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), making the country an important factor in regional and intraregional economic links. At the same time, Vietrade and the MoIT have supported Vietnamese enterprises to improve their capacity through consulting business development, establishing information systems and updating branding knowledge.

All these initiatives and efforts have helped increase the awareness of the public, international consumers, and customers about the programme and Việt Nam Value products through various domestic and international media channels. The MoIT also focuses on promoting geographical indications and collective marks of Việt Nam in foreign markets and helping improve the competitiveness of businesses based on quality reputation, environment-friendly production, and professionalism. The Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index is a research study on the perceptions of 100 nation brands from around the world. It surveys the public as well as specialist audiences, with responses gathered from more than 75,000 people across some 100 countries.   LINK

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Samson:  Việt Nam racks up $1.29 billion in trade surplus in two months

2nd March, 2021

Việt Nam’s trade balance posted positive US$1.29 billion in the first two months of the year, the General Department of Customs has said.

The country’s trade turnover during January-February topped some $95.81 billion, a year-on-year surge of 25.4 per cent. Of the total, exports amounted to $48.55 billion, a yearly hike of 23.2 per cent, while imports were estimated at $47.26 billion, or 25.9 per cent higher than the same time last year.

Foreign-invested companies accounted for 76.4 per cent, or $37.07 billion, of Viet Nam’s total export turnover. Meanwhile, the domestic sector shipped abroad $11.48 billion worth of products.

There were nine commodities joining the billion-USD export club, including telephones and parts ($9.3 billion, up 22.8 per cent year-on-year); electronics, computers and parts ($6.9 billion, up 27.3 per cent); equipment, machines and parts ($5.5 billion, up 72.6 per cent); footwear ($3.2 billion, up 15.4 per cent); and wood and wooden products ($2.4 billion, up 51 per cent). They made up 73 per cent of the country’s export turnover.

Viet Nam also saw strong surge in shipments of several agricultural products, such as fruits and vegetables ($610 million, rising 14.6 per cent), rubber ($516 million, increasing 109.7 per cent), cashew ($442 million, up 21.5 per cent), and cassava ($256 million, up 78.2 per cent).

The US was Viet Nam’s biggest importer as it splashed out $14.2 billion on Vietnamese products, or 38.2 per cent higher than the amount it spent the same time last year. China came second with $8.5 billion, followed by the EU with $6.3 billion, ASEAN $4.2 billion, South Korea $3.4 billion, and Japan $3.2 billion.

Meanwhile, the country spent big ($47.26 billion) on imports, with the foreign-invested sector purchasing $31.64 billion worth of products from abroad for production, up 31.4 per cent, while that of the domestic sector surged 16 per cent to $15.62 billion.

In the two-month period, China was the largest exporter of Viet Nam, with revenue estimated at $17.3 billion, up 85.7 per cent year-on-year, followed by South Korea with $8.4 billion, ASEAN $5.6 billion, Japan $3.1 billion, the EU $2.3 billion, and the US $2.1 billion.

In a bid to support local firms in promoting production and exports, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that it will work to capitalise on opportunities from the signed free trade agreements to seek measures for market development. Additionally, it will keep a close watch on the global market to identify key export products, while paying due heed to penning measures for market development.

LINK

Billuke:  All this Viet Nam news....Not bad for a country whose currency rate is 0.000043360772061481 US Dollars....IMO

Samson:  Switzerland-Việt Nam business group debuts

2nd March, 2021

The Vietnamese Embassy in Switzerland recently held a ceremony to launch the non-profit Switzerland-Vietnam business group (SVBG), which aims to promote exchanges and investment and trade co-operation between enterprises of the two nations.

Based in Lausanne, the SVBG, the first of its kind founded by Vietnamese expatriates in Switzerland, will focus on offering trade information via workshops, forums, and internal bulletins; providing legal consultations and guidance; developing links for technological transfers and improvement; and introducing quality human resources. It will also make recommendations for a more favourable business climate to agencies of both nations while organising socio-cultural activities serving its goals.

Speaking at the debut ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador Lê Linh Lan said the group came into being at a special time as Việt Nam has placed the COVID-19 pandemic under control and prepared the best conditions possible to welcome Swiss investors. Lan said the would embassy support the operation of the SVBG.

According to the diplomat, Switzerland is the sixth-largest European investor in Việt Nam, with its investment totalling US$2 billion, mostly in manufacturing – processing and electricity. Currently, close to 100 Swiss firms are operating in Việt Nam.

Meanwhile, Việt Nam is the fourth-biggest trade partner of Switzerland in ASEAN, with bilateral trade exceeding $3.6 billion in 2019. Since 2012, Việt Nam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – the intergovernmental organisation of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland – began negotiations for a trade deal which is expected to be signed this year.   LINK

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Samson:  Việt Nam is an attractive destination for Swiss investors

4th March, 2021

Việt Nam is a highly attractive destination for investment because of its unique position to capitalise on the global chain shift, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland Lê Linh Lan. Lan told the webinar “Market Focus Việt Nam” on Tuesday: “In the pandemic, Việt Nam’s economy has proved resilient with a positive growth of 2.91 per cent in 2020 while the rest of the world plunged into a deep recession.”

The webinar was organised by Swiss Việt Namese Business Gateway (SVBG) and the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services (CCIG) was also the first official launch of SVBG with Swiss partners and Việt Namese representatives. Lan mentioned the Government’s successful control of the pandemic and effective measures for economic recovery and international economic integration last year contributed to the attraction.

Last year, Việt Nam completed the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), concluded bilateral FTA negotiations with the UK (UKVFTA), and agreed to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Lan said: “With new-generation FTAs such as CPTPP, EVFTA, RCEP, Việt Nam has become one of the region’s fastest-growing and internationally engaged economies, at the centre of a network of 17 FTAs and economic and trade cooperation frameworks with the world’s leading economic hubs.”

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit's recent report, Việt Nam has emerged as an attractive foreign direct investment destination in Asia ahead of China and India. The report suggests factors that make Việt Nam more attractive destinations are the incentives for international firms for setting up units to manufacture hi-tech products, the pool of low-cost workers, and the proliferation of free trade agreements, said Lan. She added: “The US-China trade war and the pandemic have accelerated the shift of the global value chain when European and American companies are relocating investment locations or repatriate manufacturing factories to overcome the over-dependence on a single country in the global supply chain system. “As Việt Nam has been able to effectively contain the pandemic and is among the first countries to reopen the economy, Việt Nam is better positioned to attract this capital flow trend. The Government acted quickly to embrace this shift in the global supply chain, decided to establish a high-level special working group, charged with the mission of investment promotion inViệt Nam.”

Lan recognised innovation and digitalisation as the last highlights of Việt Nam’s economy, saying the development of the digital economy for the country’s robust and sustainable development was another attraction to investors. As Việt Nam targeted its digital economy to contribute 30 per cent of the GDP, related businesses have great markets serving both the Government and people in the new era.

Lan said: “Switzerland is an important trade, investment and economic cooperation partner of Việt Nam with strong grown bilateral economic and a trade volume reaching US$3.6 billion in 2019.” Lan added there are more than 100 Swiss companies including big names such as Nestle, ABB, Novartis, Roche, Holcim and Schindler. These firms have been doing successful business in Việt Nam and with the total investment of around 2 billion Swiss francs, Switzerland was now the sixth biggest European investor inViệt Nam. She considered Swiss firms with comparative advantages and strengths in technology, innovation, capital and expertise especially in finance, pharmaceutical, food manufacturing would look more to Việt Nam as a safe and attractive destination for doing business in the post-COVID-19 world of tremendous change and globe supply shift. Lan said: “They will have large room to grow.”

The ambassador hoped the FTA negotiations between Việt Nam and Switzerland will be completed this year when the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations. With the same point of view, Trade Counselor Nguyễn Đức Thương said that the favourable environment has created very good conditions for foreign investors in Việt Nam. Thương added that Việt Nam is also strong in demographics when it is going through a period of "golden population structure". 

Việt Namese senior leaders are also very interested in creating favourable conditions for foreign investors in terms of the law. The National Assembly of Việt Nam passed a new Law on Investment on June 17, 2020, effective from January 1, 2021, with many new investment incentives.  Thương said even during the pandemic, investment in Việt Nam last year was still very strong, however, he said the top FDI ​​partners were Asian countries of Korea, Japan, and Singapore, Switzerland was currently ranked 19th.  Mentioning Việt Nam as a preferred place to regulate the world's production chain as the economy of nearly 100 million people has enjoyed political stability in countries and free trade treatment from all major economies of the world, Thương said energy and technology were among top investment fields in Việt Nam.

Attending the webinar, Will Mackereth, Supply Chain director of Nestlé Vietnam said understanding the nutritional deficiencies namely in zinc, iron, iodine, and Vitamin A in the country, Nestlé Vietnam has been providing main products like MILO, Maggi, Nescafé fortified with Vitamins and minerals to millions the local consumers and children. Mentioning Việt Nam as a hub for added-value production, export and distribution, Nestle’s representative said: “ We have a lot of optimism to continue to invest in Việt Nam.”

SVBG the first of its kind founded by Việt Namese expatriates in Switzerland, will focus on offering trade information via workshops, forums, and internal bulletins; providing legal consultations and guidance; developing links for technological transfers and improvement; and introducing quality human resources. It will also make recommendations for more favourable business climate to competent agencies of both nations, while organising socio-cultural activities serving its goals.

 According to SVBG, Việt Nam was the four biggest trade partner of Switzerland in ASEAN. Since 2012, Việt Nam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – the intergovernmental organisation of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland – began negotiations for a FTA, which was expected to be signed this year. LINK

"Thursday News" Posted by Samson at KTFA 3-4-2021

KTFA:

Samson:  Parliament votes on three international conventions

3/4/2021 18:21

The House of Representatives voted on Thursday to join three international agreements.

A correspondent said that the House of Representatives voted on the draft law on the accession of the Republic of Iraq to the International Convention for Container Safety of 1972.  He added that the Council voted on the draft law on the accession of the Republic of Iraq to the Convention on the Recognition and Implementation of Foreign Arbitration Decisions (New York, 1958).

The House of Representatives voted on a bill amending the law on the accession of the Republic of Iraq to the International Convention on Road Traffic for the year 1968 and the European Agreement supplementing it for the year 2006 No. 30 of 2015.

On Thursday, the House of Representatives held its session in the presence of 240 deputies.  LINK

Samson:  Finance: Kurdistan has not submitted a financial statement of its revenues for 6 years

4th March, 2021

The Minister of Finance, Ali Abdul Amir Allawi, confirmed, on Thursday, that the Kurdistan region has not delivered a statement of its financial revenues since 2014.

According to a document seen by Al-Iqtisad News, in which the minister responded to a written question submitted by MP Faleh Khazali about the financial revenues of the Kurdistan region, where the minister responded by saying: "The Kurdistan region has not sent any table of revenues  from 2014 until 2020."

LINK

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Samson:  Pentagon: We may have to deploy additional forces to Iraq

3rd March, 2021

The US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) announced in a press briefing, on Wednesday, that it might be forced to "deploy additional forces in Iraq."

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that Washington would not hesitate to "respond to the Ain al-Assad attack after the investigation is over." Kirby revealed that America is investigating with Iraq "the party behind the attack on the Ain al-Assad base."

For its part, the White House said on Wednesday evening that it was still assessing the impact of the recent missile attack in Iraq, stressing that it would act again if the assessment concluded that the response to the missile attack was necessary.

The Pentagon said, earlier on Wednesday, that an American civilian contractor had died of a heart attack while sheltering from missiles fired at a base in Iraq.   LINK

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Because of fake loans ... arrest warrants for 14 employees of the Agricultural Bank in Maysan

4th March, 2021

Issued a court of inquiry for the consideration of integrity, Thursday, issues arrest warrants against 14 employees in the Agricultural Cooperative Bank Architecture Branch on charges of loans exchange fake.

According to the media center of the Supreme Judicial Council , in a statement received / scales News / copy of it, that "The court issued arrest warrants against 14 employees of the Agricultural Cooperative Bank, Al-Amara Branch, against the background of disbursing fake loans estimated at about two billion three hundred thousand dinars."

The media center added, "The warrants were issued in accordance with the provisions of Article 316 of the Penal Code."   LINK

Samson:  Pope Francis begins historic visit to Iraq

4th March, 2021

His Holiness Pope Francis begins tomorrow (Friday) a four-day visit to Iraq.

President of the Republic Barham Salih said that the visit will help bolster the values of tolerance and peace globally – not just in Iraq, adding that “the journey of Pope Francis to Mesopotamia will be a message of peace to Iraqis of all religions & serve to affirm our common values of justice and dignity.”

Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi affirmed that the visit of His Holiness the Pope will contribute to consolidating stability and will help foster a spirit of brotherhood in Iraq and throughout the region, and that the whole world values the dedication of His Holiness to peace, human dignity and to ending conflicts.

During his apostolic visit, the Pope will meet His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Al-Sayyid Ali Al-Husseini Al-Sistani in the holy city of Najaf, before travelling to Al-Nassirya in Dhi Qar province and hold interreligious prayer service at the Plain of Ur.

The Pope will then return to Baghdad where he will celebrate Holy Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in the capital.

During his visit to Iraq, the Pope will travel to Erbil where he will celebrate Holy Mass and to Mosul, where he will recite a prayer of suffrage for the victims of war.

His Holiness will also visit the Qaraqosh community at the Church of the Immaculate Conception. LINK

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Samson:  What makes Pope Francis' visit to Iraq historic?

4th March, 2021

When Pope Francis' plane lands in Baghdad, a historical moment has already been written, as he is the first Pope of the Vatican to visit Iraq, and thus the first great pontiff to make a pilgrimage to the land of Mesopotamia and hold the first spiritual summit with a Shiite reference of this level is Sayyid Ali al-Sistani. But the papal visit has other, no less important dimensions. By coming to Baghdad, Najaf, Dhi Qar, Nineveh and the Kurdistan region, the Pope is taking a risk that no spiritual leader has ever been before, in light of the security risks that threaten him, and in light of the outbreak of the Corona epidemic, due to which the Pope did not leave the Vatican traveling for more than a year, but despite that, he determined to come to Iraq.

Despite this symbolic importance of everything related to the Pope’s visit between 5 and 8 March, Iraqis in general of all races and religions are also looking forward to the hopes of change that the Pope may bring with him in order to improve their lives, their conditions, and their future tinged with tension and anxiety. The last serious attempt to come to Iraq was the days of Pope John Paul II, who sought in 1999 to visit Iraq, but the problems of the international blockade that was imposed, and the uproar caused by his intention to go to Baghdad during the era of former President Saddam Hussein, in addition to the inability of Iraq to secure hosting Aptitude for the Supreme Pontiff, was enough to topple the idea. Nevertheless, the Vatican maintained its fear of Iraq and all its sects, including Christians. While the drums of war were beating before the 2003 invasion, Pope John Paul II raised a voice against the use of the language of weapons. That is why Pope Francis is now completing a long, unfulfilled dream, and his "Iraqi message" must be resounding as he addresses everyone:

The Iraqi government: Mustafa Al-Kazemi's government will be called upon on his part to work on political, ethnic and religious reconciliations, and to try to move forward in building a capable and just state for all, in a way that helps Iraq get out of the quagmire of crises and turmoil. Muslims and Christians: that they are "all brothers", which is a call at the heart of Pope Francis' interest, and they are also sons of the Prophet Abraham who came to perform Hajj to him, confirming the call he launched in the Emirates in the year 2019, with the partnership of Al-Azhar, the representative of the Sunni world, and therefore the Christians Like their Muslim brothers, they are connected to this land, and their presence in it is natural and rooted.

The Shiite Majority: Through the meeting with the supreme authority, Ali al-Sistani, which is the highest level meeting between a Shiite authority and the great pontiff, Pope Francis hopes to strengthen the dialogue and communication that has existed for many years between the two parties, but he will certainly take advantage of his presence in Iraq and Najaf in order to pass a message, even implicitly. That the forces enjoying the majority in any country must strive by themselves to contain and embrace other minorities in society, not marginalize them, and equate with them in rights as well as duties.

Kurdistan Region: It is most likely that Pope Francis will remind the world of the suffering that this region experienced in the past decades, which led it to realize itself, and what it faced in the recent terrorist attack by ISIS, and the suffering of the displaced from all sects that embraced them. And there in Erbil, he will pray for them.

America and Iran: It is not the Pope’s habit to name countries by name, but he will make an appeal, knowing that the Iraqi government will be happy to hear it, to the expulsion of Iraq, the cradle of the heavenly religions and the incubator for many minorities and ethnicities, from regional conflicts and external interference.

In any case, Pope Francis, in everything he will do in Iraq, will have his eyes on the Christians, who are at the basis of Iraq's ancient identity and civilization, and their numbers have decreased dramatically since 2003, which threatens their existence. However, the unifying message will be the Pope's constant concern, and it is in order to spread hope in the souls of Iraqis, especially the youth, whose voice must have been heard in the protests that have been taking place in Iraq for more than a year.

From Baghdad to Najaf, then to the ancient city of Ur in Dhi Qar, where the Prophet Abraham was born - according to religious narratives - then to Nineveh Governorate and the Kurdistan Region, the Pope will march carrying the banner of peace, coexistence and brotherhood. The President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, expressed the best of the meanings of the visit when he said that it would open a wider global door in the face of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, which is a source of relief for all components, and an opportunity to deepen the culture of coexistence, tolerance and acceptance of the other among all components.

Iraqis hope that the Pope’s visit will leave its clear political effects, both internally and externally, as well as its reflection on social stability. It is assumed that the visit of the Supreme Pontiff to Iraq reflects a positive image of the country that is overwhelmed by news of strikes and killings, in the world, and may enhance the confidence of Iraqis in their country and their government in a difficult phase that they are going through, including Muslims, Christians, Sabeans, Mandaeans, Yezidis, Assyrians, Arabs, Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites.

After the peak stage in the hardships that the Iraqis have lived in recent years, the Pope’s visit will be, as many hope, a contribution to healing the wounds, on the Iraqi Calvary Road, just as he tried by Saint Francis of Assisi during the thirteenth century, to overcome the pain of the Crusades - Islamic. The time has come for Iraq to defy death and turn its page. This was the long-term vision of the Vatican for what would happen to the Iraqis when it opposed the war 18 years ago, and it appears only that Pope Francis will reaffirm this message that wars are always a defeat for humanity.  LINK