Supported by UNIDO Iraqi institutional representatives met Italian counterparts

Rome, March 4th 2011,  UNIDO ITPO Italy hosted in its Office a meeting with an Iraqi Government Delegation, represented by the General Director of the Ministry of Industry and Minerals and the Prime Minister’s Special KRG Advisor, and some representative organizations of Italian manufacturing firms, including Confindustria.

UNIDO Special Representative in Iraq and UNIDO Special Coordinator of the Enterprise Development Programme for Iraq have also taken part in the meeting, illustrating the UNIDO activities carried out in the country, underlining the need for a greater involvement of the Italian industry in the process of reconstruction and development of local entrepreneurship.

Following the Italian Development Cooperation guidelines, which consider the interventions in Iraq as a priority, the need to work in a system-based approach was emphasized. On this regard, UNIDO, an Honest International Broker, is pleased to create useful synergies with Italian associations aimed at stimulating investment and supporting business development in Iraq.

After pointing out sectors of potential interest to foreign investors, the Iraqi Delegation underlined the need to meet European standards in Iraqi products and services. The policies implemented by the Iraqi Province of Kurdistan, in terms of facilitating foreign investment, were also presented.

Italian Representatives took the opportunity to illustrate key industrial areas and also expressed their willingness to undertake synergic capacity building activities aimed at foreign entrepreneurs from developing countries. In this way, Italian associations made it clear that they expect to facilitate doing business abroad in order to meet the growing demand of Italian internationalization.

For more information about potential investment currently available in Iraq, please visit the official Iraqi Ministry of Industry and Minerals’s website:  www.industry.gov.iq.