Finance minister urges more economic cooperation with Turkey

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Finance Minister Bayan Jabr al-Zubaydi on Sunday called for more cooperation with Turkey in the economic sphere. “There has to be more fruitful cooperation with Turkey in the economic domain in a way contributing to the reconstruction of Iraq and enhance strategic projects there, particularly in the fields of housing, energy and road building,” Zubaydi was quoted in a finance ministry statement after a meeting with the Turkish ambassador in Baghdad to discuss bilateral relations. Zubaydi underlined the importance of Turkish companies’ active participation in rehabilitating infrastructure and rebuilding efforts in Iraq. The minister indicated that trade and economic relations with neighboring Turkey see remarkable growth to the interests of both countries, read the statement as received by IraqiNews.com. “Iraqi provinces would need large investments now that the state budget has appropriated $15 billion within the budget’s investment activities for the year 2009,” said Zubaydi. The statement also quoted the Turkish ambassador as hailing “economic openness between Iraq and Turkey, stressing his government’s support for Iraq in all fields. The Turkish emissary also expressed the Turkish firms’ keenness on entering the Iraqi market thanks to the country’s economic perspectives, namely in the fields of energy, power, housing projects, strategic water projects and construction of up-to-date hospitals. AmR (S) 1