KTFA – KTFA Members “Tuesday Iraq News” 9-26-2023

Clare:  Al-Sudani directs the suspension of official working hours on October 3

9/26/2023

Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani directed that official working hours be suspended on the occasion of National Day.

 A brief statement received by Shafaq News Agency stated: Al-Sudani directed the closure on Tuesday, 10/3/2023, in all ministries and state institutions, in celebration of the National Day of the Republic of Iraq.

The Iraqi National Day is a day that was proposed in 2008 to be made a national day that falls on October 3, to commemorate the day of Iraq’s declaration of independence from the British Mandate and its joining the League of the United Nations, and that independence was on October 3, 1932.  LINK

Clare:  Minister of Finance: Iraq aims to benefit from the expertise and capabilities of the Asian Bank

9/26/2023

Finance Minister Taif Sami Muhammad confirmed on Tuesday that Iraq aims to benefit from the expertise and capabilities of the Asian Bank.

A statement from the Ministry of Finance received by Al-Iqtisad News stated, “Minister of Finance, Taif Sami Muhammad, met with Konstantin Lemdtovsky, Vice President of the Asian Bank, and during the meeting, they discussed entering into joint projects related to the public and private sectors in the field of industry, transportation, and energy.”

The minister added, according to the statement, that “their desire to enter the field of infrastructure investment will be conveyed to the Iraqi government and will be provided with projects that Iraq considers top priorities,” pointing out that “Iraq aims to benefit from the expertise and capabilities of the Asian Bank in mobilizing financial resources for private investments.” In order to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development goals that are based on strengthening partnership with the private sector due to its importance to economic growth, in a way that contributes to increasing growth rates and job opportunities.”

It is worth noting that the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, one of the multilateral development banks, invests in sustainable infrastructure and other productive sectors in Asian countries, including (electric power, transportation, communications, rural infrastructure, agricultural development, water supply and sanitation, environmental protection, and urban development.  LINK

MOAKES:  Vietnam became a member on April 11,2016 and has 8,689 votes. 
Maybe this will help the Dong to increase in value.IMO

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Clare:  Minister of Finance: The government continues its efforts for economic reforms

9/26/2023 Baghdad

The Minister of Finance and Governor of Iraq at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Taif Sami, participated today, Tuesday, in the work of the official session at the governors’ level in the bank for its second and final day, with the participation of the Director General of the Iraqi Fund for Foreign Development in the Ministry of Finance.

According to a statement by the Ministry of Finance, the session’s agenda included “voting on a number of decisions, most notably accepting the membership of a number of countries in Asia and Africa in the bank, voting on electing a new president and two deputies to the bank’s Board of Governors, in addition to approving the annual report of the Asian Bank’s work for the year 2022.”

The Minister of Finance indicated, “The Iraqi government will continue its efforts for economic reforms, adopting a road map to achieve sustainable development goals and a gradual approach to financing development by maximizing revenues for the budget and the contribution of international banks, including the Asian Bank, to finance promising investment projects in Iraq.”  LINK

Clare:  Al-Sudani: There is no need for the international coalition to be in Iraq

9/26/2023

Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani confirmed today, Tuesday, that “the terrorist organization ISIS today does not represent a threat to Iraq.”

Al-Sudani said, during an interview with “The National” newspaper, that “there is no longer a necessity for the existence of the international coalition that was formed to confront ISIS,” indicating that “the joint committee will meet during this month with the American side, and will emphasize the bilateral relationship with the United States for security cooperation.” We are open in all fields.”

The Prime Minister stated that “the presence of Syria, with its political system and people, is better than an unknown alternative that may plunge the region into a second war with ISIS, and any security confusion in Syria will unleash the monsters of terrorists and threaten security in Iraq and the region.”

Yesterday, Monday, Al-Sudani received the commander of the international coalition forces to combat terrorism in Iraq and Syria, General Joel Fowell, in the presence of the American ambassador to Iraq. During the meeting, security cooperation relations between Iraq and the international coalition were reviewed in the scope of providing advice, arming, exchanging intelligence information, and in the field of training. Iraqi security forces; To develop it and raise its combat capabilities, according to an official statement.

The meeting witnessed, according to the statement, an emphasis on the continuation of the work of the joint committee between Iraq and the international coalition, which was formed following the visit of the security delegation headed by the Minister of Defense to the United States of America last August, which aims to determine the form of the future relationship with the coalition after the victory over ISIS gangs. Terrorism, the growing capabilities of the Iraqi forces, and their ability to carry out their tasks in providing security in all areas and areas of responsibility.

Al-Sudani recently confirmed that “the form of the relationship with the international coalition will be determined in the coming days.”

Al-Sudani said, in a meeting with a number of media professionals, that “the recent American movements were a process to replace the forces present in Syria, one brigade with another,” adding that “there is no movement of the forces present in Iraq without the knowledge of the Iraqi government.”

He pointed out that “Iraq does not need any combat forces,” noting that the Iraqi-American joint committee will hold its meeting in mid-September to determine the form of the relationship with the international coalition.

US President Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi signed an agreement officially ending the combat missions of US forces in Iraq by the end of 2021, more than 18 years after US forces were sent to the country.

Biden stressed that the American role in Iraq will focus on assistance in the field of training, in addition to combating the terrorist organization ISIS, and intelligence support.

There are currently about 2,500 American soldiers in Iraq, whose tasks are focused on confronting the remnants of ISIS, and the American role in Iraq will change completely to be limited to training and providing advice to the Iraqi army.

A US-led coalition invaded Iraq in March 2003, based on accusations that President Saddam Hussein’s government possessed weapons of mass destruction. Saddam was removed from power, but such weapons were never found.   LINK