Iraq Economic News And Points To Ponder Thursday Afternoon 5-8-25

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Al-Mashhadani And The US Chargé d’Affaires Discuss The Arab Summit In Baghdad

Thursday, May 8, 2025 | Politics Number of readings: 71  Baghdad / NINA / Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani and the Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Baghdad, Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau, discussed on Thursday the Arab Summit to be held in Baghdad and the importance of the role of the Iraqi Parliament in passing laws that serve the public interest.

Al-Mashhadani’s media office said in a statement: “Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani received the Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Baghdad, Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau, and her accompanying delegation.”

The statement added that during the meeting, “the bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen them, expand the circles of understanding, and activate the friendship committees to serve the interests of the two peoples were discussed. The two sides also discussed developments in the regional, Arab and international situations, and a number of topics of common interest.”

It pointed out that “the importance of the Arab Summit to be held in Baghdad on the 17th of this month and the importance of the role of the Iraqi Parliament in passing laws that serve the public interest were also discussed.”

The Speaker of Parliament stressed, according to the statement, the importance of holding parliamentary elections on the scheduled date, noting that “the biggest challenge lies in broad participation.”

Al-Mashhadani stressed “the importance of stopping the war on the Gaza Strip, the importance of calm in Yemen, supporting stability in Syria, and sparing the region further escalation with dire consequences.” /End   https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=1225567

Abu Raghif To A High-Level Delegation From Meta: Our Digital Sovereignty Is A Priority, And Establishing A Regional Center For The Company In Iraq Is Important.

Time: 2025/05/08 Read: 1,785 times   {Local: Al Furat News} The head of the Communications and Media Commission, Nofal Abu Ragheef, received a high-level delegation from Meta, the company that owns the Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp platforms, at the commission’s headquarters in Baghdad, headed by Basma Amari, Public Policy Manager for the Middle East and North Africa region.

A statement by the commission, a copy of which was received by {Euphrates News}, stated that “the meeting was devoted to discussing avenues of cooperation between the two sides regarding content regulation and enhancing Iraq’s secure digital presence on the company’s platforms.”

During the meeting, Abu Ragheef stressed that “the Communications and Media Commission places at the forefront of its priorities the preservation of Iraq’s digital sovereignty and the emphasis on respect for privacy and national standards in everything published on social media platforms,” ​​noting “the importance of achieving clear understandings with Meta in this regard.”

This is the first visit of its kind to Iraq by a senior Meta official and reflects the company’s interest in developing its relationship with official Iraqi authorities as part of its efforts to understand Iraq’s digital priorities and build direct and more effective communication channels with regulatory bodies.

During the meeting, according to the statement, “ways to develop joint follow-up and coordination mechanisms to monitor misleading or offensive content were discussed, and to adopt fairer and more transparent procedures for Iraqi users, particularly with regard to deleting content or blocking pages affiliated with media and official institutions.”

The Communications and Media Commission also stressed the “need to adopt specific paths to verify official accounts in direct cooperation with the Commission, and to establish a regional support center for Iraq to facilitate communication with relevant authorities and address reports related to content or usage policies.”

The meeting also addressed the importance of implementing joint awareness programs on digital security and information verification, in partnership with universities and civil society organizations, to support efforts to raise community awareness of digital threats and self-protection mechanisms.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Abu Raghif affirmed that the Commission “is open to conscious cooperation with global technology companies, in a way that enhances user confidence, preserves Iraq’s digital presence, and ensures a fair and balanced communication environment that adheres to the state’s legal and sovereign frameworks.” LINK

Al-Sudani: Baghdad Is Hosting The Arab Summit At An Exceptional Moment For The Region

Thursday, May 8, 2025 | Politics Number of reads: 383   Baghdad / NINA / Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani stressed: “Baghdad is hosting the Arab Summit at an exceptional moment in our region, a moment of major transformations, open conflicts and complex regional challenges.

” Al-Sudani said in statements to the newspaper / Asharq Al-Awsat /: “The Arab Summit in Baghdad comes in a transformative context. It is a moment in which the Iraqi national will meets the general Arab hope to overcome differences and move towards building an effective and comprehensive Arab cooperation system.”

He added: “Iraq believes that strengthening Arab action begins with strengthening relations between Arab capitals, from the Gulf to the Ocean, on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs. Today, we need a responsible Arab discourse based on political realism and believing that solidarity does not mean identicality, but rather respect for specificities within a unity of purpose and destiny.”

The Prime Minister pointed out: “The challenges facing the region, from the repeated Israeli aggression on Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria, to the internal divisions and regional and international interventions, threaten not only the security of peoples, but also our collective will as a nation.”

He explained: “The time has come to launch a unified Arab initiative that goes beyond the humanitarian dimension and supports the building of a nation-state based on the constitution, dignity, and diversity.” He pointed out: “The absence of effective international engagement requires Arab countries to have a comprehensive development strategy.”

He emphasized: “Arab national security is indivisible and cannot be achieved without effective cooperation, balanced policies, and strong institutions that protect the supreme interests of the nation.”

He continued: “We are not only rebuilding Iraq, but we are participating in reshaping the Middle East through a balanced foreign policy, conscious leadership, development initiatives, and strategic partnerships.”

Economically, the Prime Minister called for adopting an integrated economic approach that addresses development disparities and enhances collective capacity to confront food, energy, and supply chain crises. He pointed out that the Development Road project, which is nearing completion, is a practical model for this approach and can be a pillar for genuine Arab partnerships.

Al-Sudani concluded by saying: “Baghdad, the capital of Arab thought and shared history, opens its arms to the Arab Summit, confident that what unites us is greater than what divides us, and that we have a valuable opportunity to shape a more cohesive and dignified future for our peoples.” /End https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?Key=1225481

Signing Two Agreements With France To Finance Projects Worth 130 Million Euros.


May 8, 2025  Baghdad – Qusay Munther  The Ministry of Finance signed two agreements with the French Development Agency to finance vital projects in the sanitation sector, totaling 130 million euros. These agreements aim to improve the environment and basic services in Anbar and Diwaniyah governorates, as part of a comprehensive government plan based on the budget law.

Signing Two Agreements

A statement received by Al-Zaman yesterday said that “the Minister signed two agreements with the French Agency, the first of which relates to signing a supplementary loan for the Al-Khalidiya District Sewerage Project in Anbar Governorate, worth 30 million euros, bringing the total financing for the project to 110 million euros. The second agreement was allocated to finance the Al-Hamza District Sewerage Project in Diwaniyah Governorate, with a loan amounting to 100 million euros.”

Sami stressed that “the government seeks, through this step, to transfer the technology and expertise used in France in the field of wastewater treatment to Iraq, which will contribute to improving the service reality and enhancing the health environment in the beneficiary cities.”

 She added that “these agreements are part of a financing package provided by the French government aimed at supporting infrastructure projects in various governorates, and come in implementation of what is stipulated in the Federal General Budget Law for the years 2023, 2024 and 2025, and in line with the directions of the ministerial program, which emphasized directing borrowing towards feasible investment projects.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Construction, Housing and Public Municipalities, Benkin Rekani, launched the implementation of the Rose City project in Baghdad. During the launch ceremony yesterday, Rekani said, “Iraq has not witnessed the implementation of major projects for more than 45 years due to the wars and events that the country has experienced, which led to the deprivation of strategic projects and the deterioration of the level of services as a result of the continuous pressure on the infrastructure.”

 He pointed out that “the current government has sought, in various ways, to move towards service and development projects.”

New Cities

“With this project, we will move from creating neighborhoods and residential complexes to building new cities planned according to civilized standards that meet the requirements of modern life by adopting environmental plans, energy sustainability, and modern insulation systems, to provide integrated services for an integrated city,” Rikani explained.

He continued, “The project will include, in addition to residential units, services, and job opportunities, recreational areas and large green spaces.” He went on to say, “This is the first experience of its kind in Iraq in decades, and is considered the largest development project in the country.”

He pointed out that “the project extends over an area of ​​24 thousand dunums, and includes about 100 thousand housing units of various types and levels, including hospitals, universities, commercial markets and entertainment areas,” indicating that “the city of roses will be built in three phases, and is close to the Army Canal Expressway, about 17 kilometers away.”

He went on to say that “the ministry is implementing an expressway linking the Canal area to the city, and a group of adjacent plots of land have been distributed among members of the Ministry of Defense, with plans for additional future expansions.”   LINK

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