Egyptian Companies to Participate in Iraq Reconstruction

Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri urged on 1/1/2012 several ministers with visiting Baghdad next week to reach agreements with Iraqi officials to participate in the reconstruction of Iraq. The ministerial delegation includes the ministers of housing, foreign affairs, industry, trade, communications, agriculture, health, electricity and manpower.

The remarks were made by Planning and International Cooperation Minister Fayza Abdul-Naga at a press conference held on 1/1/2012 following a meeting by Ganzouri in the presence of various ministers along with a host of businessmen. Chances of the Egyptian companies' participation in carrying out development projects in Iraq are promising due to the five-million-dollar budget earmarked by the Iraqi government to implement these projects, she said.

Ganzouri said that Egyptian companies have to tap the Iraqi market, Abul-Naga said. The manpower minister voiced keenness on re-opening the Egyptian labor office in Baghdad to help Egyptian companies which wish to do business in Iraq, she added. For his part, Trade and Industry Minister Mahmoud Issa said that Egypt and Iraq seek to increase the volume of trade exchange to hit more than two billion dollars. The minister further said he hopes that the joint Egyptian-Iraqi committee would be held as soon as possible and remove all obstacles obstructing trade between the two sides. On the other hand, Fathi El-Baradei, the Minister of Housing said that the activity of Egyptian companies will increase in Iraq.