Prime Minister Barzani: Our rich and vibrant region attracts foreign direct investment
The Review is published by Invest In Group, in cooperation with the Kurdistan Regional Government's Department of Foreign Relations which oversees the publication. This is the third and final bi-monthly update and will be followed by the annual publication in October.
The Prime Minister says the KRG welcomes international businesses to the Region. He says, 'Our rich and vibrant region can be used as a platform for doing business in all of Iraq. This Region is not just a market for 5 million people, but has access to a market for 30 million people.'
Speaking about the importance of education in The Review, Prime Minister Barzani says: ‘Having a well-educated society is important to every nation, but perhaps more so in this Region since many of our people had their education disrupted through conflict and displacement and most couldn’t travel abroad.'
Prime Minister Barzani touches on reform initiatives to promote transparency and accountability, as well as attempts to route investments to Duhok and Slemani.
‘The KRG Board of Investment now has directorates in each province with the authority to award investment licenses to companies, independently from the board’s headquarters in Erbil,’ he said. He also adds that the KRG is planning legislation to further promote the financial sector.
In The Review, British Consul-General in Erbil, Hugh Evans, speaks about the growing relationship between the Kurdistan Region and the UK over the past several years. He says, 'Our overarching objective in Kurdistan is for the UK to become a partner of choice for the KRG. So, we support activities across the whole spectrum of bilateral relations.'
The September edition of The Review also includes interviews with senior officials, including Dr Fuad Hussein, Chief of Staff to the President, and several cabinet ministers as well as insights from leading businesses in Kurdistan.
