| British Ambassador Simon Collis has launched the first edition of the ‘Business is GREAT Britain’ brochure at a reception at his residence. He was joined by around 100 guests from the public and private sectors. The guests included the Chairman of the National Investment Commission Dr. Sami Al Araji and Karbala Governor Aqeel Al-Turaihi. Also present were major British companies including JCB, Standard Chartered, Shell, BP and Copperchase. The new ‘Business is GREAT Britain’ brochure provides detailed information on British companies that want to increase their engagement in Iraq in the fields of water, power, construction, financial services, education and health. The brochure will make it easier for Iraqi businesses and government bodies to engage with British companies with the skills and expertise they require. British Ambassador Simon Collis said: “I am proud to be launching the new ‘Business is GREAT Britain’ brochure today. It showcases the capabilities of UK companies with the expertise to assist Iraq with its reconstruction and infrastructure plans. Iraq has strong trade relations with the UK, and there is much more we can do. This brochure will help to achieve this.” The Chairman of the National Investment Commission Dr. Sami Al Araji said: “Iraq has ambitious plans in the fields of construction, water, power, transport, health and education. We want to see experienced international companies tender for these important works. I am delighted that the British Embassy is taking a lead and promoting the expertise of British companies known for their high quality through the ‘Business is GREAT Britain’ brochure. I hope we can work with many of these companies” Trade between Iraq and the UK was over $1.5billion last year. British companies, including BP and Shell, help produce 50 percent of Iraq’s oil. Last November the British Embassy assisted a trade mission of more than 50 companies to visit Iraq, the largest ever. JCB is one the world’s leading manufacturers of construction equipment and their machines are used across Iraq in projects relating to water, waste-water management, housing and agriculture. Standard Chartered is the only international bank to have full, on-the-ground operations in Iraq. Copperchase is building 3,000 new houses in Iraq. All these are UK companies. | أطلق السفير البريطاني سايمون كولس الطبعة الأولى من كتيب في حفل أستقبال في مقر - Business is GREAT Britain إقامته. وشارك في الحفل نحو مئة ضيف من القطاعين العام والخاص و قد شمل الضيوف كل من رئيس الهيئة الوطنية للأستثمار الدكتور سامي الأعرجي و محافظ كربلاء السيد عقيل الطريحي. كما حضرت كبرى الشركات البريطانية بما في ذلك شركة جاي سي بي البريطانية للمعدات الثقيلة ومصرف ستاندرد تشارترد وشركة شل النفطية و شركة بريتيش بتروليوم وكذلك شركة كوبرجايس و قال السفير البريطاني سايمون كولس: أنا فخور لإطلاق الكتيب لأنه يعرض قدرات الشركات البريطانية من ذوي الخبرة لمساعدة العراق في خططه لإعادة الإعمار و تطوير بناه التحتية. العراق لديه علاقات تجارية قوية مع المملكة المتحدة و هناك ما هو أكثر من ذلك بكثير يمكننا القيام به . في حين قال الدكتور سامي الأعرجي رئيس الهيئة الوطنية للأستثمار : "إن العراق لديه خطط طموحة في مجالات البناء و المياه والطاقة والنقل والصحة والتعليم. نريد أن نرى الشركات العالمية من ذوي الخبرة تقدم العطاءات لهذه المشاريع الهامة. يسعدني أن تأخذ السفارة البريطانية زمام المبادرة وتعزيز خبرات الشركات البريطانية المعروفة للحصول على جودة عالية من خلال الكتيب آمل أن نتمكن من العمل مع العديد من هذه الشركات لقد كان هذا الحدث جزء من " إسبوع بريطانيا العظمى" ، الذي يعرض ما لدى المملكة المتحدة لتقدمه من حيث السياحة والدراسة و التجارة , وتسليط الضوء على كل ما هو أفضل عن بريطانيا من تكنولوجيا و موسيقى و رياضة. سوف يكون التركيز في العراق هذا العام على التجارة والإستثمار والتعليم. لقد بلغ حجم التجارة بين العراق والمملكة المتحدة الى أكثر من 1.5 مليار دولار في العام الماضي. إن الشركات البريطانية ، بما في ذلك شركة بريتيش بتروليوم وشركة شل يساعدان على إنتاج 50% من نفط العراق. في تشرين الثاني الماضي قامت السفارة البريطانية في بغداد بمساعدة البعثة تجارية اوالتي تضمنت أكثر من خمسين شركة لزيارة العراق والتي أعتبرت أكبر بعثة تجارية تزور العراق من أي وقت مضى إن شركة جاي سي بي هي أحد أبرز الشركات المصنعة في العالم لمعدات البناء حيث تستخدم معداتهم في جميع أنحاء العراق في المشاريع المتعلقة بالمياه وإدارة المياه المستعملة والإسكان و الزراعة أما ستاندرد تشارترد فهو مصرف دولي كامل الوظائف في العراق في حين تقوم شركة كوبرجايس ببناء ثلاثة الاف وحدة سكنية في العراق و كل هذه الشركات هي شركات بريطانية |
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 Britain's Standard Chartered bank will open its first branch in Iraqi Kurdistan early next month, attracted by financing opportunities for large government infrastructure projects planned in the autonomous region.
The bank is one of a small number of foreign lenders with operations in Iraq, which is experiencing rapid oil-fuelled economic growth, but also its worst upsurge in violence in at least five years. Standard Chartered opened its country head office and first branch last November in Baghdad's banking district, on a street lined with blast walls and patrolled by guards with Kalashnikov rifles. Kurdistan is relatively peaceful by contrast, and the autonomous region's main cities are full of cranes and construction sites. The bank also plans to open another branch in the southern oil hub of Basra later in 2014. Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Iraq Gavin Wishart told Reuters that the business environment in Kurdistan was "progressive" and described the pace of development as "encouraging". Security concerns and a complex regulatory and political environment have put some international firms off doing business there. HSBC is trying to exit Iraq by selling its stake in Dar Es Salaam Investment Bank. "We hope that as the financial services sector develops, we can be the partner of choice in that area," Britain's Ambassador to Iraq Simon Collis said at a news conference during his visit to the Kurdish capital Arbil on Thursday. Iraq's federal government and the Kurdish region are in dispute over how to exploit the country's vast hydrocarbon reserves and how share the proceeds. Source  Baroness Nicholson was personally appointed by the Prime Minister to act on behalf of the British Government to increase trade and economic co-operation between the United Kingdom and Iraq.
Speaking in Baghdad, the British Ambassador to Iraq, Simon Collis welcomed the appointment; “I am delighted to hear that Baroness Nicholson has been appointed as the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Iraq. The United Kingdom is committed to expanding its trade and economic relations with Iraq . Baroness Nicholson brings a wealth of experience of working in Iraq through her role as the Executive Chairman of the Iraq Britain Business Council. Her appointment as Trade Envoy represents a further strengthening of the commercial relationship between our two countries”. Speaking in London, Baroness Nicholson said; “It is an honour and a privilege for me to accept this appointment from the Prime Minister. Iraq has a vibrant and booming economy, and is a huge supporter of British Industry and Commerce. We must ensure that the UK understands this and makes the best of the enormous opportunities Iraq offers us” . Source |
