Under the patronage H.E. Prime Minister, Mr. Nuri Kamal al-Maliki
NIC Holds the Iraqi – Canadian Business and Investment Forum
NIC Held in Baghdad on Wednesday, 02.12.2014 the Iraqi – Canadian Business and Investment Forum under the patronage of H. E. Prime Minister, Mr. Nuri Kamal al-Maliki and the presence of the Canadian Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Consular) and H. E. Deputy Prime Minister – Chairman of Economic Committee Dr. Rose Nuri Shaways.
The Forum started with a speech by H.E. Deputy Prime Minister in which he emphasized the government’s serious efforts to restructure the Iraqi economy and to diversify its resources and turn it into a productive diversified economy through activating other economic fields such as mining, agriculture, communications, and tourism pointing out that the survival of Iraq away from the repercussions of the recent global financial and economic crisis constitute a point of strength and an important additional guarantee for companies and investors.
“>Inviting Canadian companies to contribute in the various fields of infrastructure as electricity, energy, transportation and housing projects and in the production services in industry, mining, agriculture, financial services, banking and other in the way that contribute to economic and human comprehensive and sustainable development.
“> Dr. Sami Raouf al-Araji, NIC Chairman opened the Forum with a speech in which he welcomed the state of Canada’s government and people, expressing his pride in the presence of such a large number of Canadian companies in Iraq at this time and that began expanded bilateral meetings with their counterparts at both official and commercial sides.
“>He reviewed in his speech a number of economic sectors that are the focus and attention of both sides as; energy (oil, gas and electricity), transport and communications infrastructure, health, education, agriculture and engineering industries, financial services, banking and insurance.
“>He pointed out that extensive discussions had been done for the establishment of the Iraqi – Canadian joint business Council to serve as a link between the two countries, in addition to the common interest of signing an agreement to promote and protect investment in the two countries.
For her part, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of Canada, Ms. Lynn Yelich, who heads the delegation to visit Iraq said that this mission represents the first Canadian one to visit Iraq since (25 years) and Basra had been the first station, where they discussed a lot of the prospects of joint cooperation between the two countries. Referring to her country’s readiness to help Iraq build its bright future and commitment to remove all obstacles that stand in the way of cooperation, and reviewed during her speech at the forum technical capabilities of the Canadian companies in various sectors, which owns business relations of more than 40 billion dollars in the year 2013 only and also made (23) trade initiative in more than 60 countries with its ambitious plans for expansion of trade, especially that Iraq is one of the biggest points of attraction for the Canadian government and the holding of such a conference would contribute to strengthening bilateral relations and to find the necessary opportunities in different sectors “>of the economy.
The conference was ended with detailed presentations by Mr. Adel Hamid, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Electricity and Dr. Ahsan Attar, expert in the Ministry of Oil of the most important investment opportunities in the Energy sector.