Thread: Archive Latest News - Think Tank - 01/01/08 - 14/04/08

Bonyan Al Sulaimaniya City Helps Develop Kurdistan Region

Abdullah Atatreh, Chairman of Bonyan International Investment Group, one of the major real estate development companies in the UAE has announced a partnership and strategic alliance with the Iraqi Al Hanthal Group.

Al Hanthal is considered as one of the most prominent developers operating in and Kurdistan Iraq and it owns multiple businesses in the Middle East and GCC .This partnership will lead to the establishment of the new company Bonyan Kurdistan.

The new company aims at putting the professional expertise and capabilities of Bonyan International Investment Group, which has already developed major projects in the UAE and several Arab countries, into the development of Kurdistan.

Atatreh said that the Bonyan Kurdistan Company will shortly be launching a first of its kind mega real estate project in Iraq Kurdistan called Bonyan Al Sulaimaniya City, an integral and modern project comprising residential and commercial towers, villas, shopping malls and two hotels. Bonyan Al Sulaimaniya city will cover approximately an area of one million square meters and is located in Al Sulaimaniya province.

“The project’s architectural plans are being currently finalized and are expected to be completed within three months. The project is divided into several stages, the first of which will be completed by 2010”, he added.

Moreover, he mentioned that Bonyan Kurdistan is planning on developing other projects in Kurdistan and the new company is studying further investment opportunities in Irbil and Duhok.

Wadih Al Hanthal, Chairman of Al Hanthal Group, explained that Bonyan Kurdistan enjoys the full support of the Kurdistan Regional Government, which is planning on supporting the project and which is working hard on attracting international investment companies.

He also stated that Bonyan Kurdistan gained the attention of the government and the support of both, the Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani who gave his blessing to the partnership joining the two parties, and the Deputy Prime Minister Omar Fattah who kept a close eye on the procedures related to the company and the project.

Bonyan International Investment Group and Al Hanthal Group praised the support and care given by Herrish Muharam, head of Kurdistan’s Board of Investment for the evolution of the Bonyan Kurdistan projects.

Kurdistan is located in Northern Iraq. Its unified government is ruled by Nechirvan Barzani who was elected in January 2006. Kurdish and Arabic are its two official languages and the population exceeds 5 million. Kurdistan, rich in natural resources and agricultural products comprises three provinces: Irbil, Al Sulaimaniyah and Duhok, all known for their picturesque nature, with lakes, rivers, high mountains and plains abounding the region.

Kurdistan, currently the most secure region of Iraq, is witnessing a fast-growing construction sector and a steady economic expansion with national and foreign investments, especially Turkish and American companies, reaching into billions of dollars.

Bonyan has delivered a wide range of properties across the region, including Rose Tower the world's tallest hotel apartment tower, Dubai and Lulu Tower, Sharjah. Furthermore, the company's Al Jaddaf project is considered as one of its largest development in the UAE, as well as the Lagoon Twin Towers and **** Twin Towers in Qatar.

PUKmedia :: English - Bonyan Al Sulaimaniya City Helps Develop Kurdistan Region

Kurdish Bloc resorts to President’s Veto if %17 budget allocation to Kurdistan region failed

It is expected that the Iraqi Council of Representatives dedicates Monday’s session to settle the allocation of Kurdistan region budget in Iraq revenue.

The Spokesman of Kurdistan Alliance Bloc, Firyad Rawanduzi, announced that if the Iraqi parliament fails to allocate 17 percent of Iraq budget to Kurdistan region, then the Bloc resorts to President Talabani to veto it.

PUKmedia :: English - Kurdish Bloc resorts to President’s Veto if %17 budget allocation to Kurdistan region failed

President Talabani chairs PUK Organizational Center Meeting in Kirkuk

On the second day of his visit to Kirkuk, the Iraqi President, his Excellency Jalal Talabani, chaired PUK Organizational Center meeting.

During the meeting President Talabani asserted making a civilized tolerant life for all the components of the city, and calling for strengthening the joint historical and fraternal relations among them whom are Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, Chaldeans, and Assyrians.

He later cautioned the PUK members to work as accurate as possible in order not to make mistakes. The attendees regarded his visit as landmark to address their concerns.

In another separate meeting, his Excellency met with Turkmen Front representatives. The meeting is ongoing.

http://pukmedia.com/english/index.ph...=2987&Itemid=1

President Talabani emphasizes on need for returning Turkmen Font List to Kirkuk Provincial Council

The Iraqi President, his Excellency Jalal Talabani, received a delegation from the Turkmen Front in the Kirkuk Provincial Council today in Kirkuk.

President Talabani listened to a report by the delegation on the need for fair representation of Turkmen in the sovereign assignments, governmental posts, the Iraqi embassies, as well as respecting the specialty of Turkmen in Kirkuk through positive dialogue for reinforcing the historical relations between Kurds and Turkmen.

President Talabani emphasized that Turkmen are more suppressed and so they need more support, reiterating the need for dialogue and establishing adequate flexibility to deal with all the disputed issues through opening a new page of relations and cooperation. He reiterated his support for all the legitimate rights of Turkmen in the democratic, united, independent federal Iraq.

His Excellency also emphasized on the need for returning the Turkmen Font List to the Kirkuk provincial council in order to reinforce the national fraternity in Kirkuk.

On their part, the delegation expressed their delight on hearing President Talabani’s emphasis on the need for reinforcing the Kurdish –Turkmen fraternity as well as dealing with the issues through dialogue ,appreciating his Excellency’s views towards resolving Kirkuk issues and making it be the city of fraternity and coexistence.

PUKmedia :: English - President Talabani emphasizes on need for returning Turkmen Font List to Kirkuk Provincial Council

Sharp drop in dollar demand in daily auction

Demand for the dollar dropped sharply in the Iraqi Central Bank's auction on Thursday, registering at $36.770 million compared to $122.630 million on Wednesday.

"The demand hit $14.180 million in cash and $22.590 million in money transfers outside the country, all covered by the bank at a stable exchange rate of 1,212 Iraqi dinars per dollar, unchanged for the third consecutive session," according to the central bank's daily bulletin which was received by Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

The 13 banks participating in the auction offered to sell $500.000, which the bank bought at an exchange rate of 1,210 Iraqi dinars per dollar.
The Iraqi Central Bank runs a daily auction from Sunday to Thursday.

Aswat Aliraq

High-level Kurdish delegation to visit Baghdad on pending issues

MP from the Kurdistan Coalition (KC) on Thursday said that a high-level delegation from Iraq's Kurdistan region will visit Baghdad in the coming few days to discuss some pending issues between Iraq's central government and the Iraqi Kurdistan region's government.

"The delegation will discuss important issues like the oil contracts concluded between the region's government with foreign companies to prospect for oil and the 2008 budget," Abdul Khaleq Zanka told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq (VOI).

The Iraqi government had criticized contracts the Kurdish government signed with a number of foreign companies for oil drilling, considering them as "illegal".

The government of Iraqi Kurdistan signed a contract with a global oil consortium led by South Korea's national oil corporation KNOC, by virtue of which the latter received a concession to prospect for oil in northern Iraq.

According to KNOC sources, South Korea imported 42 million barrels of oil from Iraq in November 2007, three times the amount it imported from Iraq in a whole year in 2006.

Iraq is South Korea's largest oil supplier.

The government of Iraqi Kurdistan had signed 15 contracts to take part in oil production with 20 foreign companies despite the central government's objection and ahead of the Iraqi parliament's final endorsement on the new oil draft law.

A disagreement also erupted while discussing the 2008 budget.

The parliamentary economic committee had proposed a 13% budget share for Kurdistan, but the regional government insisted a higher share of 17%.

The total amount of Iraq's general budget for 2008 is $47 billion.

Aswat Aliraq

Iraq to scrap subsidized food rations by June

The government has decided to end the rationing food program which has staved millions of Iraqis from starvation.

The decision, the government said, was in line with the obligations it has made to the World Bank.

But Finance Ministry officials, refusing to be named, said they opposed the move and feared it could lead to unexpected hikes in food prices.

The government said it was also determined to end fuel subsidies, but it declined to say when.

The food rationing system was started by former leader Saddam Hussein to offset the hardships emanating from U.N. trade sanctions.

For nearly 13 years, the program continued without hiccups with the United Nations praising it as the world’s largest and most effective relief effort.

But the program run into serious trouble since U.S. troops landed in Baghdad. The volume of rations was slashed several times and food failed to reach many beneficiaries.

The system which cost the treasury billions of dollars a year was mired in corruption.

The government took the decision without parliamentary approval.

Analysts say millions of Iraqis will be affected particularly families with no income earners and the jobless currently estimated at about 40 of the workforce.

“We have to prepare ourselves for a new wave of price hikes and we expect to lose our control over inflation which was reined in last year,” one Finance Ministry official said.

http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2008-01-30\kurd1.htm

Saleh: Iraq to defy political crises in 2008

Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh affirmed that 2008 will be the year of confronting the political crises the country is going thru. Saleh said that if the government failed to treat the political file given the relative security improvement, this would be considered as if the government fell short to be on the level of the Iraqis’ expectations.

As to Iraqi-Turkish relations, Saleh affirmed that both parties stress on the necessity of enhancing and boosting bilateral relations. In addition, they both bid to solve the problem of the presence of PKK militants in the distant rough regions.

Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network | Iraq News | Saleh: Iraq to defy political crises in 2008

Update......

Iraq Cabinet to work out disputes with Kurds

While intense negotiations are still ongoing with the parties that withdrew from the government, Leader in Coalition Bloc Kassem Daoud revealed that Senior Leaders are settled that it is necessary to mend the government according to new features the most important of which is to reduce the number of actual ministries to the half and to establish a technocrat ministry far from political allotment. He added that the thing that hinders the announcement of a new government is that political parties want the blocs that had already withdrew to get back to the government.

In this context, negotiations are ongoing between the government and Accordance Front. In the meantime, member of Sadrist Bloc Lika’ Al Yassin revealed a proposition submitted by Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki to the political commission of the movement that aims to bring the bloc back to the government. Yassin expects that the movement would have an answer in the 2 upcoming days.

However, Iraqi List had announced that it doesn’t want to get back to the government.

On another hand, government carries out intense talks with a delegation from Kurdistan region in order to settle the disagreements that are hindering issuing 2008 federal budget. The 2 parties would also tackle the issue of signing oil contracts and determining Kurdistan region’s financial allocations in 2008 budget.

Kurdistan Coalition MP Baizid Hassan announced that intensive talks are taking place since the beginning of the week between the Minister of Natural Resources Ashti Hawrami and representatives of the government, the talks are tackling oil contracts signed between Kurdistan Region Government and foreign oil companies. Hassan affirmed that the positive ambiances that prevailed on the talks might soon lead to an agreement.

Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network | Iraq News | Iraq Cabinet to work out disputes with Kurds

Maliki: National Reconciliation bids ongoing

Security and military preparations that aim to follow Al Qaeda members especially in Mosul keep path with endeavors to determine clear stances towards the governmental issue that experiences an intense discussions movement. However, many exclamation points are asked about to which extent efforts would thrive to sort out a viable solution that is able to get the political and national scene from the sphere of conflicts and disagreements.

In fact, Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki who negotiates with Accordance Front in order to bring it back to the government and talks over the conditions it imposes is also sending proposals to Sadrist movement, the other party that resigned from the government, in order to bring it also back to the government. Meanwhile, the movement says that it would reply in the upcoming two days. Alsumaria hosted Al Maliki in Jadal Iraqi program in order to tackle important Iraqi files.

Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki tackled in Jadal Iraqi program aired at Alsumaria national reconciliation, fighting against terrorism as well as forming a small government. During the interview Maliki stressed that the government carries on its endeavors that aim to save the country from division and discrimination. Maliki also laid emphasis on the importance of popular support in bringing governmental endeavors to a fruitful end.

Moreover, Maliki announced that he had proposed the idea of forming a new government since 8 months and said that he presented a proposal to form a small government comprising between 17 and 23 ministers who all enjoy the required qualities.

Al Maliki stressed that the measures to be adopted in order to choose ministers shall be technical since the ministers should be comp****t and well informed of the ongoing political process.

As to Mosul operation matter and the ongoing preparations in order to cripple Al Qaeda there, Maliki affirmed that the government established a security plan and that army, police and fighting terrorism forces started to get prepared in order to carry out the operation. Maliki affirmed that he will go to Mosul in order to monitor the operations directly from there.

Prime Minister stressed on the role of Mosul citizens in fighting against terrorism. He also pointed out that he called security forces and ministries to provide the needed support in order to siege terrorism and to barricade it.

Regarding national reconciliation, Maliki announced that even if reconciliation didn’t succeed 100% yet it succeeded by 90%. Prime Minister uttered that a general conference will be held in March for all the participants in the political process in order to crown national reconciliation endeavors.

When asked why the government didn’t participate in meetings that were held out of the country in order to support and achieve reconciliation Maliki affirmed that the government was always represented by High National Reconciliation Committee.

Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network | Iraq News | Maliki: National Reconciliation bids ongoing