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<\/p>\nKuwait City \u2013 Seventy seven countries and over 2,200 representatives of companies attended the \u201cInvest in Iraq\u201d Conference this Tuesday (13), at the Crowne Plaza hotel, in Kuwait City. The event was organized by the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce & Industry, with the support of the World Bank, and it\u2019s part of the Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq (KICRI). Iraqi companies declared to be open to international partnerships for operations in the country, including Brazil.<\/p>\n
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The panels presented 212 projects in priority sectors in Iraq, with the agricultural sector, with 88 projects, leading the way. The other projects are distributed in the areas of transportation (23 projects), industry (30 projects), tourism (10 projects), plus infrastructure, energy, housing, construction materials and services, food products, petrochemicals, logistics and communications.<\/p>\n
Iraq\u2019s minister of Planning, Salman Al Jumaili, the president of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Ali Mohamed Al Ghanem, among other representatives of the government\u2019s main sector and of public and private organizations, attended the panel.<\/p>\n
Among the companies attending, 320 were from Kuwait, according to the assistant general director of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Emad Al-Zaid. He said that they expect to attract investments especially from the United States and the European Union.<\/p>\n
Karen Jones, the head of the office for the Middle East of the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil), represented Brazil. Her presence in the event was important to observe and share the information with potential Brazilian investors.<\/p>\n
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According to her, when talking about investment attraction, crucial points were presented, such as the legal framework, with facilitation of regulating laws; the One-Stop Shop, which will work as a facilitator, a single body that will offer a step-by-step for investments; support services for investors, plus the modes of funding and guarantees.<\/p>\n
For Jones, the presentations showed that the country is prepared to receive investments. \u201cIt\u2019s very interesting to notice that they already did a structuring work to offer a better assurance to possible investors,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey offered information on projects from priority sectors, and there are many opportunities to the Brazilian investor, such as natural gas, products and services, healthcare, pharmaceuticals productions, engineering and construction services, among others. Without a doubt, these are sectors that Brazilian investors can enter; I\u2019ll share these information, this is the work\u201d, she concluded.<\/p>\n
Many Iraqi companies promoted their work in stands at the hotel\u2019s second floor. The idea was to offer information and attract investments and partnerships. According to Jafar Sadik, communications representative from the National Holding Group, they have already signed partnerships with countries such as Turkey and Italy, and are seeking even more international cooperation. \u201cWe\u2019re open to investors from Brazil and the rest of the world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Foreign Affairs<\/strong><\/p>\n < To end the conference, there were speeches by the France\u2019s Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, and Iraq\u2019s prime minister, Haider Al-Abadi.<\/p>\n Le Drian reaffirmed France\u2019s commitment and support to Iraq until it can rebuild and prosper, and said that his country is keeping this support, as it did during the fight against terrorism.<\/p>\n \u201cIraq\u2019s government is taking measures to turn words into actions to show that the country is open for business,\u201d said Tillerson. To him, Iraq was a strong ally in the fight against terrorism, and the US will keep bilateral relations with a strategic agreement. \u201cWe support Iraq\u2019s efforts to secure financial and government stability, and in promoting economic reform, and its disposition to improve transparency. This will help to gain investors\u2019 trust.\u201d<\/p>\n < Abadi said that \u201cthe great challenge of this financial crisis is to fight corruption and lack of transparency.\u201d According to him, the government\u2019s reform program is being presented to the international community, to help investors and boost business in the country.<\/p>\n The prime minister also said that the most impacted sector was housing, since over 150,000 homes were destroyed, and that he\u2019s relying on the support by the international community to begin this new phase of the country\u2019s reconstruction. \u201cIraq is victorious, the Islamic State fled because we remained united.\u201d<\/p>\n He also said that \u201cto build a pacific country is essential to achieve stability,\u201d and that \u201cto protect the people is all priority above all.\u201d<\/p>\n This Tuesday was also held the ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, at Bayan Palace, the official palace of Kuwait\u2019s Emir. Simultaneously to the event, Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, met with Tillerson and Le Drian, plus Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, and Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide, Norway\u2019s Foreign Minister.<\/p>\n *The journalist travelled at the invitation of Kuwait\u2019s government. Translated by S\u00e9rgio Kakitani<\/strong><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/imagens\/cod_717054.jpg\")
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