Iraq and European Union agree to Paragraphs of Bilateral Partnership

http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=10428 IRAQdirectory.com - [9/22/2009] Iraq and the European Union have settled most of the paragraphs of the partnership and bilateral cooperation agreement between the two sides. This came during a meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal Affairs and Multilateral Relations, Dr. Mohammed Al-Haj Hamoud, and head of the European Union mission in Baghdad, ambassador Aleka Usitalo. According to a statement of the Foreign Ministry, the two sides reviewed a copy of the suspended paragraphs of the partnership and cooperation agreement between Iraq and the European Union and they came up with final versions to some of these paragraphs; both sides had already held eight rounds of negotiations on Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. The ambassador Usitalo said that a technical delegation from the European Union will visit Iraq during the month of October to discuss ways to develop relations between the two sides and the long-term strategic cooperation between the sides. Iraqi Speaker Samarraie wraps up visit to Paris http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=119441 September 24, 2009 BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Iraq’s parliamentary delegation led by Speaker Iyad al-Samarraie concluded a visit to France on Thursday by separate meetings with French National Assembly President Bernard Accoyer and Senate President Gérard Larcher, according to an official statement. “The discussions focused on ways to activate the role of the Iraqi parliament in the legislative field and France’s experience in this sphere,” read the statement as received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The key point we were keen to stress was that Iraq’s fledgling democracy needs to be strengthened and powerful democratic institutions be built,” Samarraie was quoted as saying. Commerce Department Schedules U.S.-Iraq Business and Investment Conference in Washington, DC www.trade.gov/iraq The U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (Commerce/ITA) is organizing a U.S.-Iraq Business and Investment Conference, to be held in Washington, DC, on October 20th and 21st, 2009. The goal of the conference is to encourage U.S. private investment in Iraq by promoting current business opportunities, providing matchmaking opportunities for U.S. and Iraqi firms, providing opportunities for dialogue with Iraqi Ministers and other senior Government of Iraq (GOI) officials, and holding bilateral meetings with U.S. and Iraqi government officials to address commercial policy. The conference will cover twelve sectors – agriculture, banking/finance, defense, electricity, health, education, housing/construction, industry, oil/gas, telecommunications, tourism and transportation – and, while it will be open to all U.S. companies, those operating in these sectors are especially encouraged to participate. The Iraqi delegation will include several Iraqi Ministers and other senior GOI officials, many provincial government officials, and representatives from over 100 private-sector firms. Interested parties will be able to register online for the investment conference at 74 Fed. Reg. 48222 Ministry supervises rebuilding two bridges in Baghdad September 24, 2009 http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=119445 BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: The Iraqi minister of reconstruction & housing ratified a memorandum of understanding with the United States to coordinate the rebuilding of the two bridges of al-Rudwaniya on the highway, according to a statement by the ministry’s information office on Thursday.“Minister Bayan Daza Yi endorsed the MoU between the Iraqi general roads & bridges organization and the U.S. side to reconstruct the two bridges of al-Rudwaniya at the 15th kilometer on Highway 1,” read the statement as received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency. First Undersecretary of Reconstruction & Housing, Estabraq al-Shawk, said the two bridges are on the highway that links al-Yousufiya Intersection, south of Baghdad, to Abu Ghraib Intersection, West of Baghdad. “The bridges had been damaged as a result of armed and military operations. The finance for the project is provided by the U.S. side,” said Shawk