And here is the result of that meeting!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by pipshurricane
U.S. commerce secretary in Baghdad
Baghdad, July 17, (VOI) – The United States Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez arrived in Baghdad on Monday in a previously unannounced visit, an official source at the U.S. embassy in Iraq said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malki is due to meet Gutierrez and the accompanying delegation on Monday, the source said.
They would later hold a joint news conference at the cabinet headquarters.
http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules....rder=0&thold=0
Iraq and U.S. sign commercial agreement
July 17, 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq --Iraq and the United States signed a commercial cooperation agreement Monday that officials hope will help this country move into a free market after decades of wars, sanctions and state control.
"Concerning the agreement that we signed today, it is the result of long discussions and follows mutual agreements between Iraq and the United States," al-Sudani told reporters.
He said that the principles of the agreement are based on improving the Iraqi economy after it was destroyed by war.
"We will start a new chapter in the cooperation between the United States and Iraq," Gutierrez said. "This will entail cooperation in the economic field and promoting investments in key areas of the country in sharing technology and other forms of capacity building."
"It will be a unique opportunity to enable the Iraqi people to move from a centralized system of economic development to one where individuals can apply their skills and their talent and their energy to develop a better life for themselves, obviously for their families and for their country," he added.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...071700143.html