U.S. President Joe Biden announced today, Monday, May 20, 2024, that Iraq’s national emergency has been extended for an additional year.
“Obstacles to the orderly reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of peace and security, and the development of Iraq’s political, administrative and economic institutions continue to pose an unusual threat to Iraq’s national security and foreign policy as well,” Biden said in a letter to the U.S. Congress and published by the White House.
“Therefore, the national emergency for the stability of Iraq will continue to be in effect after May 22, 2024 for an additional year,” he explained.
Resolution 13303 on Iraq was passed in 2003 under former US President George W. Bush.
The decision means that the U.S. president has the right to issue orders for international trade, and everything related to any threat to U.S. national security, based on which former President George W. Bush, who on May 22, following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, issued an order 13303 to declare a state of national emergency in the United States.
Shafaq News/ On Monday, Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani chaired a meeting of the Iraq Fund for Development, in which steps were approved to localize industries, attract foreign investments, and strengthen several industries in the fields of cars and electronics, as well as solutions to the housing crisis.
The Prime Minister’s Media Office said, in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency, “Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani chaired, today, Monday, the third meeting of the Board of Directors of the Iraq Fund for Development, in the presence of the Minister of Finance, and the Ministers of Planning, Construction, Housing, Municipalities, and Public Works.”
He pointed out that “the meeting witnessed discussion of the projects placed on the Fund’s work plan, the introduction of foreign investments into the Iraqi economy, and within the course of work of the Fund’s projects and targeting the localization of various industries in Iraq. The requests submitted by private sector entities for the purpose of building school buildings were discussed, as the requests exceeded What is offered for the project in its first phase.”
He added, “The meeting discussed a project to establish a factory for manufacturing passenger buses, in partnership with one of the specialized international companies, and also discussed a request to establish a factory for electronic tablet computers and use them in schools within the educational and pedagogical process.”
He pointed out that “the meeting discussed the issue of partnerships with American, British, and Saudi companies in the fields of modern irrigation technologies, and the use of technology in this context, as well as in the field of liquefying industrial gases, and lighting roads and bridges.”
He concluded by saying, “The meeting also discussed setting the dates allocated for launching the (Rent and Own) project, for the purpose of contributing to developing practical and economic solutions to the housing crisis.”
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, announced today, Monday (May 20, 2024), the appointment of Jenin Heines-Plaschart of the Netherlands, as the new Special Coordinator for the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator in Lebanon (UNSCOL), after the end of her duties in Iraq.
According to the UN statement, seen by “Baghdad today,” Plaskhart will succeed Yoana Frontska of Poland, to whom the Secretary-General expressed “grat for her commitment and leadership of the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator in Lebanon.”
Jenin is currently the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) (since 2018), and Heines-Plaschart comes to this position of more than 25 years of experience in diplomacy, international security and Middle East affairs, and before that she was Minister of Defense of the Netherlands (2012-2017) – the first woman to hold this position, according to the United Nations, and previously served as a member of the Dutch House of Representatives (2010-2012) and as a member of the European Parliament (2204-2010). Ms Hennes-Plaschart has also worked with the European Commission in Belgium and Latvia as well as in the city of Amsterdam and in the private sector.
The United Nations notes that “Plaskhart is fluent in English, French and German in addition to her mother tongue Dutch.”
The head of the United Nations mission in Iraq, Jeanine Plasschaert, gave her final briefing at the UN Security Council meeting, today, Thursday, via television, before her final departure from Iraq, thus concluding her missions that began in January 2018.
Plasschaert said: “We are witnessing a rising Iraq in the areas of service provision and reconstruction,” adding that “Iraq 2024 is developing rapidly and we hope that more progress will be achieved in the future for all Iraqis.”She touched on the issue of electing the Speaker of the House of Representatives and said, “I can only emphasize, for multiple reasons, the importance of choosing a Speaker of the House of Representatives, and with the upcoming vote of Parliament, which is now expected to take place next Saturday, there is hope that the new Speaker of the House of Representatives will be named soon.” .And about the regional parliament elections
KurdistanShe noted, “There is an urgent need for elections in a region
KurdistanIt will be inclusive of all, and it is hoped (or better: expected) that voting will take place with the least possible delay, and in all cases no later than four months from now, and with the quota for minority representation.”It is also decided that the mission “ It will be closed at the request of an Iraqi, with the resident coordinator remaining to work
United nationsThe closure will include the elections, political affairs and human rights departments, although
Central Bank Governor Ali Mohsen Al-Alaq announced on Sunday the start of the second phase of the banking sector structuring plan.
The media office of the Central Bank of Iraq said in a statement received by “Economy News”, that “Al-Alaq received a delegation from the World Bank headed by the Regional Director for Fair Growth, Financing and Institutions for the Middle East and North Africa region, Nader Mohammed,” pointing out that “during the meeting, they discussed strengthening bilateral relations between the Central Bank of Iraq and the World Bank, especially the restructuring of government banks, and the launch of the Riyada Bank project and its economic and social importance. The two parties also discussed the experiences of neighboring countries in facing climate change and its impact on the national and regional economy.”
He added, “The meeting discussed medium and small projects and their support by the Central Bank, the development of the financial and banking sector and non-bank financial institutions, financial markets and the insurance sector, as well as benefiting from the World Bank’s experiences in digital transformation, financial inclusion, and digital banks,” noting that “the governor reviewed during the meeting the plan of the Central Bank of Iraq in structuring the banking sector,” noting that “this bank completed the first phase of the plan, and began with the second phase.”
Al-Alaq stated – according to the statement – that “the Board of Directors of the Central Bank licensed the Green Bank, which will be the nucleus of renewable energy initiatives and sustainable financing,” revealing “the direction of the Central Bank of Iraq to license a number of digital banks.”
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