SIIC chief invites S. Korean firms to invest in Iraq

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The head of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC) on Saturday called on South Korean companies to carry out investment projects in Iraq. The remark came during Abdelaziz al-Hakeem’s meeting with the new South Korean ambassador to Iraq, Ha Taeen, in his Baghdad-based office, according to a statement published on the official web site of the council. Hakeem has stressed Iraq’s keenness to establish strong relations with South Korea in all fields, calling on the Korean government to encourage companies and institutions to contribute to reconstruction and infrastructure-building efforts in Iraq. The Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (previously known as Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI)) is an Iraqi political party. Its political support comes from the country’s Shiite Muslim community. It is one of the main components of the Shiite Unified Iraqi Alliance (UIA), which holds 83 seats in the 275-member parliament. In light of its gains in both elections and government appointments, the council is one of Iraq’s most powerful political parties and the largest party in the Iraqi Council of Representatives. SS (S) 1