We’ll be the first Arab country to have presence in Iraq – Egyptian official

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Egyptian Petroleum Minister Sameh Fahmi said on Saturday that his country would the first Arab nation to have presence in Iraq through cooperation in the oil domain. “It is necessary to set up a permanent headquarters to represent Egyptian petroleum companies in Baghdad,” Fahmi said in statements received by Iraqi News. “I will discuss with the officials in the Iraqi oil ministry key fields to be included in executive programs in which Egyptian companies will take part to rehabilitate the infrastructure that would guarantee an increase in Iraqi oil production,” he added. Fahmi had said that Egypt signed an agreement with Iraq to enhance strategic cooperation between the two sides in the field of oil. “The Iraqi side has approved the establishment of a center to manage operations of Egyptian oil firms in the southern Iraq province of Basra, the country’s oil industry hub that produces 80% of the Iraqi total production,” he added. AmR (P) 1