Iraqi-Italian Economic Forum held in Arbil

ARBIL / IraqiNews.com: The works of the Iraqi-Italian Economic Form was opened in Arbil on Monday, with the participation of 40 Italian companies, along with representatives from the Italian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Iraqi Chambers of Commerce.   The forum, also attended by Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s Minister of Industry & Trade, Sinan al-Chalaby and the Minister of Water Resources, Jamil Sulaiman, had also witnessed the establishment of the Iraqi-Italian Works Conference.   “Iraq is in need of Italian companies to share in the fields of reconstruction and the renewal of the infrastructure in different fields, including housing and agriculture, especially by modern Italian technology,” the Chairman of the Iraqi Chamber of Commerce, Jaafar al-Moussawi, told IraqiNews.com news agency.   He said that the size of the trade exchange between Italy and Iraq has reached 650 million U.S. dollars, pointing out that between 600-650 Italian companies are operating in Iraq nowadays.   On his part, the Deputy Chairman of the Italian Chambers of Commerce, Antonio Powlety, said that “this had been his first visit for Iraq and Kurdistan Region, where we wish to work in the fields of construction, building and health sector, with Iraq is considered as a good place for investment and activity of the Italian companies.”   Meanwhile, the Chairman of Kurdistan’s Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Dara Jalil Khayat, said that “Italy had been one of first states that established specialized forms in Iraqi Kurdistan, whilst the Italian companies had been active,” expressing hope that Italian companies would establish other specialized forums in Iraq before the end of the current year.   SKH (TR)/SR 312