The Minister of Industry and Minerals of the Republic of Iraq Mr. Manhal al-Khabbaz visited Bulgaria

The Minister of Industry and minerals of the Republic of Iraq Mr. Manhal al-Khabaz and the accompanying delegation visited Bulgaria in the period 1-5 / 9 / 2021. The visit was at an invitation of the Minister of Economy Mr. Kiril Petkov, during which a meeting between the two ministers. By the Iraqi side, the meeting was attended by the Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to Bulgaria H.E. Mrs. Lina Omar and diplomats from the Iraqi Embassy. The Iraqi Minister of Industry and Minerals thanked the host for the invitation and the warm welcome and pointed out that Iraq is one of the important countries in the region as it has many unused energy sources and minerals and expressed hope that Bulgaria will take part in investment projects. in Iraq. According to him, Bulgaria can be one of the countries to play a role in the reindustrialization of production in Iraq, as the two countries enjoy long-standing historical relations and Bulgaria must return to its rightful place in the Iraqi market.

The Iraqi minister also pointed out that the Iraqi Ministry of Industry and Minerals encourages Bulgarian companies to establish joint cooperation with industrial sectors in various fields such as production and assembly of cars, electronics, agricultural machinery, food industry, dairy, sugar and paper industries.

 For his part, Mr. Petkov expressed the desire of the Bulgarian side to participate in projects in the field of pharmaceutical and chemical industry in Iraq, pointing out that the Bulgarian pharmaceutical industry is characterized by high quality, especially in the treatment of cancer and chronic diseases.

The ministers also outlined opportunities for co-operation in the fields of industrial production, agriculture, the food industry, defense and construction. They agreed on opportunities to establish partnerships between Bulgarian and Iraqi companies in these sectors.

   The Iraqi delegation also visited the BCCI and met with the President of the Chamber, Mr. Tsvetan Simeonov and experts of the Chamber. In his presentation of the Chamber’s activities, Mr. Simeonov pointed out that the BCCI is a member of a number of international organizations, including the Association of Balkan Chambers, the National Association “One Belt, One Road” established by China and many others.

The delegation also visited the company GEOTECHMIN OOD and met with Prof. Tsolo Vutov, Executive Director of the company – a leader in the extraction of gold and cooper on the Balkan Peninsula. The meeting discussed opportunities for cooperation, gaining experience in the field of mining and geological research, as well as opportunities for virtual meeting with the assistance of the Iraqi Embassy, ​​which idea was welcomed by the company’s management.

Several Bulgarian plants and factories were visited too, including VMZ – Sopot, FORTEX NUTRACEUTICALS, a specialist and pioneer in the production of food supplements  and OPTIX AD, a leading company in optical production in Bulgaria.

During his visit Minister al-Khabbaz carried a verbal lettes from the Prime Minister of Iraq, H.E. Mr. Mustafa Al-Kadhimi to his Bulgarian colleague H.E. Mr. Stefan Yanev for an official visit to Iraq.

At the end of the visit, H.E. the Minister met with representatives of the Iraqi community and Iraqi investors living in Bulgaria. Potential trade sector contacts and projects were discussed.