Parliamentary Finance resolves the date for approving the budget and identifies 3 points of contention

Time: 01/28/2021 22:25:51

{Baghdad: Al Furat News} The Parliamentary Finance Committee decided, on Thursday, to approve the budget, while identifying 3 points of contention in it.

The committee’s reporter, Ahmed Al-Saffar, said in a televised interview, “We have reached the end of discussing the draft federal budget law for 2021, and 3 outstanding issues will be resolved, including the transfers.” 

He stressed, “There is no deduction in salaries and instead of income tax,” noting that “the region’s share, transfers and job grades are the most prominent obstacles in the draft law;

Al-Saffar referred to “a governmental agreement and to a parliamentary extent regarding the” SOMO “company and the Ministry of Natural Resources, but parties, blocs and representatives of political agendas want to put up barriers and obstacles to the agreement. 

And that “the Ministry of Oil prefers to receive 250 thousand barrels from the region at a price {sumo}, because they sell oil for less than 9 to 11 dollars.”

Al-Saffar concluded, “The exchange rate is within the authority of the Central Bank and has been changed under pressure from the Ministry of Finance and the International Monetary and the World Bank for loans that are not equal to oil revenues. And

raising the exchange rate to 1450 dinars is a wrong decision and the speculators benefit from it and harm the citizen.”

Wafa Al-Fatlawi

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In his first call, Blinken informs Iraq of the continuation of the strategic dialogue

Politics

Fouad Hussein

Anthony Blinken

2021-01-28 15:19

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Shafaq News / The new US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken confirmed to his Iraqi counterpart, Fouad Hussein, on Thursday, that the strategic dialogue sessions will continue between the two countries.

This came in the first phone call Blinken made with Hussein since he took office a few days ago.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Blinken stressed the importance of continuing discussions within the framework of the strategic dialogue between the two governments.

He indicated that the new administration is interested in bilateral relations between the two countries, and that his ministry will build the pillars of dialogue on the basis of the continuity of the path that was reached in the previous rounds of strategic dialogue, and build on those results. 

Minister Blinken expressed his “condolences to the families of the victims of the two terrorist incidents in the capital, Baghdad, and the province of Salah al-Din.” 

“The Biden administration stands with the government and people of Iraq in the fight against terrorism with strength,” he said. 

For his part, Hussain expressed his congratulations to Minister Blinken on his assumption of this important position in the new administration and wished him progress and success.

He stressed the importance of starting dialogue sessions, and the need to reach clear understandings in relations between Baghdad and Washington, in the context of strengthening ties and in the interest of the Iraqi and American peoples. 

The two ministers also discussed a number of issues in the region and regional stability. 

Hussein stated that the Iraqi government’s continuous efforts aimed at removing tension from the Iraqi arena, pointing out that regional conflicts and international tensions between some countries in the region negatively affect the internal Iraqi situation.

From this standpoint and awareness of its dimensions, Hussein looks forward to joint work with his American counterpart and foreign ministers of some governments in the countries of Iraq’s geographical neighborhood to reduce tensions and conflicts on the regional environment, all of which requires new understandings and constant communication. 

For his part, the American Secretary referred to the US support for the Iraqi economy and the strengthening of partnership and economic interaction in various sectors. He pointed to the coordination between the two governments regarding confronting the Coronavirus, and addressed the security and political situation of the countries of the region and the role of the United States in it in the future. 

At the end of the phone call, Minister Blinken stressed the importance of communication, looking forward to a meeting with Minister Fouad Hussein in the near future, according to the statement.

https://shafaq.com/ar/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9/%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A8%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%83%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%BA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%AC%D9%8A

Finally, the 2021 budget is ready for approval in Parliament

Politics

The Iraqi Parliament

2021 budget

2021-01-28 15:16

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Shafaq News / A representative source said, on Thursday, that the draft General Budget Law for 2021 is ready for voting in Parliament.

The source told Shafaq News Agency, “The budget law has become ready for voting in the House of Representatives after amendments were made to some articles of the law and the deficit was reduced by 50% after it was 71 trillion dinars.”

He added that “the Parliamentary Finance Committee will, next week, distribute copies of the revised draft of the Maronite law to the heads of political blocs 24 hours before the date of the voting session on the budget law.”

The source pointed out that “next Monday is the day set for resuming parliamentary sessions and voting on the budget law.”

Next Tuesday falls on the second of February, the last day of the legislative term of the House of Representatives after it has been extended for a month, and that Wednesday is the first day of the start of the legislative recess of the House of Representatives, and the House has not announced whether it will extend the separation to vote on the budget or enter the holiday.

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Plasschaert: The government of Iraq asked the UN Security Council to protect the elections and we are awaiting their response

Politics

Electoral Commission

Iraqi elections

Jenin Hennes Blashardt

2021-01-28 09:32

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Shafaq News / Jalil Khalaf, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Independent High Electoral Commission in Iraq, announced, on Thursday, the distribution of 12 million electoral cards, indicating that more than 14 million citizens have registered their electoral data.

The representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq revealed a request submitted by the Iraqi government to the UN Security Council regarding the protection of the integrity of the elections.

Khalaf said in a press conference attended by the Shafaq News Agency correspondent; “Iraq is on the verge of elections, the first of its kind in the country’s history, indicating that Iraq will be divided into 83 electoral districts.”

He continued; Chair of the Commission; That the new electoral system differs from the previous system, and that division of districts may be easier for the commission’s work.

He added, “The Commission has participated in the United Nations office in preparing the timetable for the progress of technical and logistical procedures.”

He stated that the Electoral Commission extended the registration period for political alliances of the blocs wishing to participate.

Khalaf indicated that the number of distributed cards is 12 million cards, indicating that the number of voters registered 14 million and 869 thousand voters, while three new births were registered in the elections.

With regard to the elections abroad, Half said that the Commission is communicating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Health to ensure the safety of the commissioners in the countries where the elections are to be held, pointing out that there is a plan in this regard.

He pointed out that 52 embassies and 19 international organizations expressed their desire to monitor the parliamentary elections in Iraq.

In turn, Jenin Blashardt, the representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq, indicated that the elections are one of the biggest challenges facing us and requires a real nail for all efforts, indicating that the commission is a responsible party for ensuring the smooth and fair elections.

Plasschaert continued; There are many Iraqis requesting to participate in the election process, while the Iraqi government has submitted a request to the UN Security Council to protect the integrity of the elections.

She said this could be done in different ways; We have supervision and monitoring, as monitoring is the cornerstone of the international community’s presence in the elections.

And she added that this is exactly what the Iraqi government requested from the Security Council, and she explained that the Security Council has not taken any decision on its participation in the Iraqi elections, so we are awaiting the Security Council’s decision.

While the UN representative in Iraq indicated that monitoring the election process is taking place in many countries and its aim is to protect the integrity of the elections and the dimensions of the role of weapons and money.

She emphasized that the election process is led by Iraq, and the United Nations cannot play the role of the commissioner.

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The President of the Republic receives a written message from the King of Jordan

Political | 04:32 – 01/28/2021

Baghdad – Mawazine News

, President of the Republic Barham Salih, on Thursday, at the Peace Palace in Baghdad, received Jordanian Prime Minister Bishr Al-Khasawneh, in the presence of the foreign ministers of the two countries.

At the outset of the meeting, the Prime Minister conveyed the greetings of King Abdullah II to the President of the Republic and handed him a written message from the King, while the President and the Prime Minister loaded his greetings to his brother King Abdullah, and bilateral relations between the two countries were discussed.

Barham Salih affirmed keenness to advance the frameworks of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, and Iraq’s aspiration to build advanced relations and raise the level of cooperation with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in all fields to serve the common interests of the two brotherly peoples, and to move towards broader horizons by strengthening the understandings and protocols agreed upon between the two countries.

He noted the importance of pursuing tripartite coordination between Iraq, Jordan and Egypt, to build strategic cooperation relations based on common interests, to confront the challenges of terrorism and extremism, reduce regional tensions and crises, and create a system for peace and stability in the region.

https://www.mawazin.net/Details.aspx?jimare=139649

Includes signing agreements … Mawazine publishes the joint statement of the meeting of the Iraqi and Jordanian delegations

Political | 04:00 – 01/28/2021

Baghdad – Mawazine News

publishes / Mawazine News / the joint statement between Iraq and Jordan, which was issued after the meeting of the two countries ’delegations in the capital, Baghdad.

The text of the statement reads as follows: “Emphasizing the bonds of brotherhood and cooperation, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq met with the Jordanian Prime Minister Bishr Al-Khasawneh at the head of a high-level ministerial delegation in Baghdad, and during the visit a bilateral meeting was held under the chairmanship of the heads of the Council of Ministers of the two sister countries to discuss ways to enhance cooperation and coordination. From the solid fraternal relations and the close ties that bind them, the

two sides valued the strong historical relations that bind the two brotherly countries, and emphasized the importance of continuing to work on enhancing the level of coordination and maximizing the utilization of the capabilities available in both countries to achieve integration in strategic interests and in all economic, investment and commercial fields.

The Jordanian Prime Minister expressed his affirmation of the civilizational position of the Republic of Iraq and its pioneering and natural role at the forefront of the countries of the region, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan standing next to the Republic of Iraq to continue the process of building and progress in a way that serves the aspirations of the Iraqi people for prosperity and prosperity. And the continuation of working together to fight it, as they discussed a number of issues of common interest to enhance cooperation and economic integration, and they reached the following:

Work to facilitate trade, increase the volume of bilateral trade exchanges and address obstacles facing the flow of intra-trade, and the Jordanian side appreciated the decision issued by the General Secretariat of the Iraqi Council of Ministers to maintain the implementation of the decisions of the Honorable Iraqi Council of Ministers No. 25 of 2019 and No. 145 of 2019, Based on the bilateral free trade agreement signed in 2009 and which entered into force in 2013, stressing his keenness to enhance trade exchange in local products for both countries.

The two sides agreed to exclude Iraqi and Jordanian products from any import registration system applied to enter the markets of both countries.

The two sides also agreed to accelerate the completion of the executive steps to establish the joint economic city, the most prominent of which is specifying the concessions that will be granted to the economic city, the procedures for allocating the plot of land to the Iraqi and Jordanian company for industry, and determining the cost of the rent allowance for the lands allocated to the joint economic city.

In the field of industrial cooperation and integration: The two sides stressed the need to strengthen industrial cooperation and integration in the pharmaceutical industrial sectors (veterinary medicines and vaccines, agricultural pesticides, clothing, chemical industries and fertilizers) through training and investment, the supply of raw materials and semi-finished goods, and the rehabilitation of factories, in addition to maximizing the benefit of the Iraqi side. One of the centers of specialized studies in the field of bioequivalence available in Jordan, facilitating procedures for registering Jordanian medicines in Iraq and recognizing their analysis certificates issued by the Jordan Food and Drug Administration.

Cooperation in the field of energy, the two sides agreed to renew the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries to import crude oil from Iraq for another year after agreeing on the required amendments, and an agreement to move forward with the implementation of the double circuit electric transmission line, about 300 km long, linking the Risha conversion station (the Jordanian side) With the Al-Qaim substation (the Iraqi side), the two governments appreciated the conclusion of a contract between the Jordanian National Electricity Company and the General Electric Power Transmission Company / Central Region on September 27, 2020, and it was also agreed to create a mechanism for cooperation between the Iraqi and Jordanian private sectors, especially in the field of renewable energy. And energy efficiency, as for the Iraqi-Jordanian oil export pipeline project, the two sides agreed to complete the bilateral talks to reach the signing of a framework agreement between the two countries.

Cooperation in the field of transport: It was agreed to hold a meeting of the Joint Land Transport Technical Committee and to assign it to re-study the procedures at Trebil / Al-Karamah port in order to facilitate procedures on trade exchange, as well as to hold bilateral talks in the field of air transport during this year to update the executive memorandum signed between the two countries in order to increase the number of The daily flights and the addition of a cargo flight on the Amman / Najaf section and vice versa, and two cargo flights on Amman / Sulaymaniyah and vice versa.

Cooperation in the financial field: The two sides agreed to complete the formation of the joint technical committee to settle the outstanding issues and the amounts required from each party to the other and to find consensual solutions to end the outstanding financial files between the two countries.

Cooperation in the agricultural field: The two sides agreed to provide all possible facilities to increase the volume of trade exchange in the field of agricultural commodities, to give priority to the exchange of goods in the field of animal and plant wealth according to the needs of the two countries, and to facilitate the registration of veterinary medicines and agricultural pesticides in both countries. The Iraqi side also welcomed the willingness of the Jordanian side By transferring the Jordanian experience in the field of digitizing the agricultural sector, and training Iraqi cadres in the fields of optimal use of water, hydroponics, water harvesting, multiplication of salt-resistant seeds, biological control, use of environmentally friendly pesticides, rural development and women’s empowerment. Proposed from Jordan.

Cooperation in the field of health: The two sides stressed the need to provide all possible facilities to increase the number of Iraqi patients for treatment in Jordan, exchange experiences in the field of treating cancer diseases, facilitate procedures for obtaining the Jordanian Board of Iraqi doctors, facilitate procedures for registering human medicines, and supply what is produced of Jordanian medicines for chronic diseases And the transfer of the Jordanian experience and the exchange of experiences in the field of managing and containing the Corona pandemic, and the Iraqi side also welcomed the Jordanian government’s willingness to harness all its technical and administrative capabilities and expertise to provide any assistance that Iraq needs in all health fields.

Cooperation in the field of water, irrigation and sanitation. The Iraqi side appreciated the initiative of the Jordanian side to place the accumulated capabilities and experiences in this field at the disposal of the Iraqi side to benefit from the Jordanian experience in this sector.

Cooperation in the field of education: The Iraqi side welcomed the transfer of the Jordanian experience, the exchange of experiences in the field of distance education for all educational levels, the establishment of educational platforms, the conversion of curricula into digital formats easy to use for the Iraqi side, and the increase in cooperation and coordination in the field of writing, preparing and printing school curricula.

Cooperation in the field of communications and information technology: The two sides welcomed the agreement to increase the capacity of the Internet that is supplied to Iraq through the border crossings with Jordan, and the use of data centers in Jordan as a substitute infrastructure for the government and the private sector in Iraq, and the establishment of a marine optical fiber station in Aqaba, To be a point for transferring the Internet to Iraq and obtaining international capacities in a large way, and it was agreed to transfer the Jordanian experience, exchange experiences in the field of entrepreneurship, and work to develop mechanisms that allow cooperation between the private sector in the two countries in the field of information technology and digital transformation processes

Cooperation between the private sector: The two sides agreed to intensify meetings between representatives of the private sector, participate in economic activities, and network Iraqi and Jordanian institutions and business owners for the purpose of studying and maximizing the use of business opportunities available in both countries to achieve the desired economic, industrial and commercial integration.

Tripartite cooperation (Jordanian, Iraqi, and Egyptian): The two sides stressed the need to accelerate the implementation of the outcomes of the tripartite Jordanian-Egyptian-Iraqi summit held in the Jordanian capital Amman on 8/25/2020, the “third” leaders meeting. The two sides also stressed the necessity of holding meetings at the ministerial level between the three countries in the fields of industrial integration, food security, energy, transportation, housing and agriculture, and to expedite the preparation of a package of strategic cooperation projects in a way that serves the strengthening of economic integration between the three countries.

At the end of the meeting, two memoranda of understanding were signed in the fields of health, higher education and scientific research by the government ministers of the two countries.

https://www.mawazin.net/Details.aspx?jimare=139647

The Arab Monetary Agency signs a new agreement for dollar settlement services through the Buna platform

Arab and international

Economy News _ Baghdad

The Arab Monetary Fund has signed a cooperation agreement with the Global Bank “GB Morgan”, whereby the bank will provide settlement of payments in US dollars through the “Bunaa” Arab Payments platform, affiliated to the Regional Corporation for Arab Payments Clearing and Settlement owned by the Fund.

According to a publication of the Arab Monetary Fund, followed by Al-Eqtisad News, the inclusion of the US dollar as a settlement currency on the “Bunaa” platform for Arab payments in the list of settlement currencies listed on the platform, in cooperation with the bank, represents an additional achievement in Bana’s journey to be the payment platform. selected in the various Arab markets in the region.
” We will strengthen cooperation, the value provided by the platform” built “and the availability of advanced services for the clearing and settlement of payments, thereby contributing to support the development of trade opportunities and investment inter – Arab and linking with the Co – trading partners of the Arab countries.”
He noted This cooperation “provides added value to all eligible banks operating in the Arab countries and abroad to participate in the” Buna “platform. For Arab payments, because the platform provides these banks with the ability to make transfers in US dollars in a safe, reliable and efficient manner.
It should be noted that it was previously announced that settlement of payments in Iraqi dinar, Emirati dirham, Saudi riyal and Egyptian pound was provided through the “Buna” platform for Arab payments.

https://economy-news.net/content.php?id=23856

The middle of next week … voting on the 2021 budget within the Finance Committee

Editing date: 01/28/2021 14:56 • 51 read times

[Baghdad-Where]

The Finance Committee in the House of Representatives expected, on Thursday, that the current year’s budget will be voted in the middle of next week within the committee.

An informed source said, “The Finance Committee in the House of Representatives expected that the vote on the current year budget will take place during the middle of next week within the committee.”

The source added, “After that, it is sent to Parliament for a vote.”

http://www.alliraqnews.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=106320

Next week, the Kurdish delegation will return to Baghdad to complete the talks on oil and the budget

Editing date: 01/28/2021 15:02 • 51 read times

[Erbil – Where]

Informed Kurdish sources revealed, on Thursday, an agreement within the regional government for the return of the negotiating delegation to Baghdad next week to resume talks with the federal government,

The source said, “It was agreed today and during the meeting of the regional government chief, Masrour Barzani, with the negotiating Kurdish delegation, to return to discussions with the federal government on the issues of oil and the general budget during the next few days.

He added, “During the meeting, the latest developments regarding the course of the talks with the federal government were presented,” noting that “the negotiating delegation stressed the need for discussions with the federal government to continue, with the aim of reaching an agreement that guarantees the rights and financial dues for the Kurdistan region under the constitution.”

The Kurdish negotiating delegation will return to Baghdad next week to resume talks with the federal government.

http://www.alliraqnews.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=106323

Barzani to the US ambassador: We are ready to work and coordinate with Washington to strengthen relations

01/28/2021 14:08

The number of readings 32

Section : Iraq

Baghdad / Obelisk: The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani, said, Thursday, January 28, 2021, during his meeting with the US ambassador to Iraq, Matthew Toller, that the regional government is ready to work and coordinate with America in order to strengthen relations and develop them in all fields.

A statement by the regional government stated that Barzani met the US ambassador to Iraq, Matthew Toller, and held discussions about the situation in Iraq and ways to strengthen relations between the Kurdistan Region and the United States.

Barzani stressed that we are pleased that the new president and the new administration in the United States are aware and familiar with the conditions of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, and we are ready to work and coordinate with America with the aim of strengthening relations and developing them in all fields.

He added that the meeting dealt with the course of the talks between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government, as well as the elections and the importance of continuing coordination to address terrorist threats and their economic and political implications.

Obelisk

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