The Iraqi Minister of Finance Mr. Ali Allawi, Arrives in London to Discus Bilateral Economic Relations

To strengthen bilateral relations between Iraq and the United Kingdom, the Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Ali Allawi, and the advisor to the Prime Minister, Dr. Salem Chalabi, held meetings with governmental and non-governmental agencies in the United Kingdom. The Iraqi delegation visited the British capital, London, from August 24th to August 26th.

The meetings, which focused on strengthening economic relations between the two countries, were attended by Ambassador Muhammad Jaafar Al-Sadr, Mr. Stephen Hickey the British Ambassador to Baghdad, and a number of Embassy staff.

The Minister and his accompanying delegation met with a number of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UK’s Department for International Development to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations between the governments of Iraq and the United Kingdom, specifically in the field of technical assistance.

The Minister met with Mr. James Cleverley, Minister of State for Middle East Affairs at the UK’s Department for International Development, to discuss ways the UK could support Iraqi efforts to overcome the economic challenges faced by Iraq. The two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the Technical Assistance for Economic Reform.

The Iraqi delegation also met with the Iraqi-Britain Business Council, headed by Baroness Nicholson. During the meeting, discussions centred on ways to revitalize the Iraqi economy through trade, investment and job opportunities for Iraqis.

A meeting also took place with the directors of a number of important financial and service companies and institutions, including JP Morgan Bank, Deutsche Bank, and BP.