Iraqi Kurdistan comes closer to Spain

In early April, Casa Árabe hosted a meeting with a delegation of the Regional Government of Iraqi Kurdistan (GRK) on an official visit to Spain. Heading the Kurdish delegation was Imad Ahmed Sayfour, Assistant Primer Minister, who was accompanied by senior government officials, including two ministers, that of Planning, Ali Sindi, and that of Housing and Reconstruction, Kamaran Ahmed Abdullah.

The objective of the visit was to promote relations with Spain in all areas, including economic arenas, as well as showing the development plans the region has.

Iraqi Kurdistan is building the foundations for a dynamic, open economy in which approximately 16,000 companies are doing business, 2,000 of which are foreign. It is a region with a wealth of hydrocarbons that has reserves estimated at 45 billion barrels of oil and approximately 2 trillion m³ of gas. The energy industry is one of the most powerful in the region, because it has managed to guarantee conditions of security that the rest of the country is unable to enjoy.

The Kurdish delegation encouraged Spanish companies to seek trade and investment opportunities in Kurdistan. Housing, agriculture and industry provide great opportunities, and more recently health care and education have become priority sectors in which significant investments will be made.
 
It is precisely from the educational sector that another delegation of representatives from the main Kurdish universities also visited Spain in the month of April, looking for exchanges with their Spanish counterparts.

Read the interview or watch the video (in English) with Ali Sindi, the GRK’s Minister of Planning.