“Tidbits From TNT” Tuesday 9-19-2023

TNT:

Tishwash:  Al-Sudani delivers Iraq’s speech before the United Nations

 Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani is expected to deliver a speech before the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, in which he will review Iraq’s regional and international positions.

The Prime Minister arrived yesterday morning, Monday, in New York City, to participate in the meetings of the United Nations General Assembly, at its seventy-eighth session.

Government spokesman Bassem Al-Awadi said in a tweet on the “X” website (formerly Twitter): “The meetings of the United Nations General Assembly in its 78th session, starting from today, Tuesday 19, until September 23, as world leaders search for solutions to global challenges and participation from In order to enhance peace and security,” he said, noting that “the title of this session is rebuilding confidence, restoring global solidarity, and the goals of sustainable development.”

He added, “The Prime Minister will participate, like the rest of the world’s leaders, in the General Assembly meeting, as it is the largest annual global forum for meeting leaders of countries and governments, to discuss global and regional challenges and express Iraq’s opinion on them, as well as deliver a speech reviewing Iraq’s international and regional positions and internal policy.”

He continued, “The meetings of the United Nations General Assembly will also include listening to the opinions of world leaders and answering their inquiries regarding all Iraqi affairs, to strengthen bilateral ties, to explain the Iraqi reality as it is, far from interpretations and analyses, and to coordinate in advance understandings, relations, and subsequent visits at the level of leadership or government institutions.” “.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani will also meet, on the sidelines of the New York meeting, a number of leaders of Arab and foreign countries who flocked to the United States of America, where the permanent headquarters of the United Nations is located.  link

************

Tishwash:  Iran: Iraq is our first trading partner and we plan to establish a joint bank and a free trade zone

Head of the West Asia Department at the Iranian Trade Development Foundation, Farzad Belten, announced on Tuesday the Iranian government’s intention to establish a joint bank and a joint free trade zone with Iraq.

Belten said in a speech he delivered before the Forum for the Sustainable Development of Trade between Iran and Iraq until 2025, which was held in the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, according to Fars News Agency, that “Iraq is our first trade partner in the world and our partner in the field of electric energy in Asia.”

He added, “Every week we see an event in Iran related to Iraq, such as sending trade delegations and holding conferences and exhibitions by the private and government sectors, and this stems from the importance of trade with Iraq.”

He continued, “We have 5 border crossings with Iraq, and the presence of merchants who are fluent in the Arabic language is considered an advantage for us in trade with Iraq compared to Turkey.”

Belten pointed to the goal set to bring the volume of trade with Iraq to 20 billion dollars, saying, “There is a decision taken to establish new institutions with the participation of the private sector, including a complex of commercial centers that can perform the work of a large number of commercial attachés in providing services to merchants.”

He also stated that “there is a trend towards participation in production with Iraq and its companies.”   link

************

Tishwash:  Oil and gas are victims of the disputes between Erbil and Baghdad. The people’s wealth awaits distribution while the legislative table is far away

The Oil and Gas Law is still stagnating despite governmental and parliamentary talk about the existence of an active movement to agree to pass the Oil and Gas Law in a way that meets the ambitions of all governorates and the region, with the aim of distributing wealth fairly to everyone and guaranteeing the rights of the oil-producing governorates.

Parliamentary parties ruled out passing such a law due to the presence of many points of contention between various political parties regarding the law, in addition to the presence of Kurdish rejection of some paragraphs, which postpones the passage of the law for an indefinite period.

A member of the Parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee, Ali Al-Lami, told Al-Maalouma: “There is a vigorous movement to pass the oil and gas law in Parliament.”

Al-Lami added, “The differences between the center and the region prevent us from achieving this goal at the present time.”

He pointed out, “There are 13 points of contention between the center and the region, as well as the oil-producing governorates, and these represent the biggest obstacles to passing this law.”

Al-Lami pointed out that “these points cannot be resolved at all, which confirms the impossibility of passing the law in its current form.” 

On the other hand, former MP Jassim Muhammad Jaafar stated during his speech to “Al-Ma’louma” that “the negotiations regarding the oil and gas law will not reach any good stages.”

Jaafar added, “The Kurds had previously rejected the law in 2008 despite voting on it within the Council of Ministers and preparing it for passage in Parliament.”

He pointed out that “it is impossible for the law to return again to be in the interest of the Kurds, who are demanding today a law that is in their interest, far from consensus or passing by a numerical majority within the House of Representatives.

On the other hand, Ali Al-Zubaidi, a member of the Al-Fatah Alliance, confirmed to “Al-Ma’louma” that “Parliament may be embarking on heated discussions regarding the oil and gas law.”

He added, “There are some objections that often occur when trying to present the law,” adding that “the aforementioned law has been postponed for a long time as a result of the escalation of the political differences surrounding it.”

Al-Zubaidi stressed, “The law must be prepared correctly so that it is fair to everyone and makes the center the main driver of this law by distributing wealth to everyone without oppressing any governorate, whether in the region or outside it.”  link