U.S.-Iraqi economic conf. launches in Baghdad

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: A U.S.-Iraqi economic conference on Saturday opened in the capital Baghdad with the participation of high-ranking officials from both sides. The conference, held at al-Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, was attended by the deputy prime minister, Rafie al-Issawi, and the minister of finance, Baqir Jabr al-Zubeidi. On Friday, the U.S. embassy in Baghdad announced that Deputy U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert M. Kimmitt, Deputy U.S. Commerce Secretary John J. Sullivan, Ambassador Ryan Crocker, and other U.S. officials would attend the conference. The governor of the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), Sinan al-Shibibi, and the head of the National Authority for Investment, Ahmed Ridha, will be among the participants, an embassy statement said. SS (P) 1