VersionsThe Kurdistan Region: Invest in the Future [English, Washington, 2007]
The Kurdistan Region: Invest in the Future [English, Buxton, 2009]
The Kurdistan Region :
Invest in the Future
We believe that Iraq can be a free, democratic, federal, secular, and pluralistic country if sufficient efforts are dedicated to this goal. With our clear and comprehensive vision for the future, the Kurdistan Region can be an example to the rest of the country in achieving peace, stability, democracy and economic development.
To focus on development, we have created a unity government in our region, in which all political parties are included, and through which every person in the region is represented.
The Kurdistan Regional Government is determined to operate as the servant of the people in a transparent and accountable way, while upholding the principles of human rights and civil liberties. The Kurdistan National
Assembly (KNA), our regional parliament, makes the law, which the courts uphold, and our ministries manage most aspects of political decision-making.
There is a great deal to do – our people have suffered from genocide, and our region endured decades of neglect. After years of isolation, we are embracing foreign interaction and encouraging foreign direct investment.
To facilitate external engagement, the KNA passed our Investment Law in July 2006. This is a comprehensive and investor-friendly law, offering generous incentives to outside investors, including the right of full property ownership, tax and customs duty exemptions, repatriation and partnerships.
We believe that the private sector is the true engine of sustainable economic growth and that this law will encourage the growth of this vital part of our economy by strengthening the legal guarantees covering foreign investment.
In August 2007, the KNA passed the Kurdistan Region Oil & Gas Law. Under the Iraq Constitution, regions have the right to manage their own previously untapped oil and gas reserves. We are implementing our rights, but will share the oil revenue with the rest of Iraq, to benefit not only the people of our region, but also the rest of the country. This law ensures that our people will be served by the most reputable international oil and gas companies. FOREWORDS
14 The Kurdistan Region: Invest in the Future
His Excellency Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani
22 Kurdistan’s People:
Key Builders of a New Federation
General Jay Garner
26 A Triumph of Determination
Ann Clwyd MP, UK Prime Minister’s Special
Envoy on Human Rights in Iraq and the Chair of
the UK Parliament’s All-Party Iraq Group
29 The Kurdistan Region: New Beginnings
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, KT GCMG PC
PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
30 Overcoming A Terrible Past:
Kurdistan and Its People
Professor Brendan O’Leary
36 The Kurdistan Regional Government
Professor Brendan O’Leary
42 Looking to the Future
Professor Brendan O’Leary
45 The Kurdistan Success Story
46 A Vision for the Future
Professor Brendan O’Leary interviews
Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani
50 The Kurdistan Region’s Consensual Government
Adnan Mufti, Speaker of the Kurdistan
National Assembly
52 Doors Open for Investment
Qubad J. Talabani, KRG Representative
to the US, and Professor Brendan O’Leary
interview Herish Muharam, the Head of the
Investment Board
59 Sarkis Aghajan Mamendu
Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, KRG Representative
to the UK, profiles Sarkis Aghajan Mamendu,
the Minister of Finance
SECTORAL DEVELOPMENT
61 Sectoral Development
amid Kurdistan’s Secure Environment
62 Sustainable Development in Kurdistan
Dr. Anwar Abdullah
64 Agricultural Renaissance in the
Kurdistan Region
Professor Gareth Stansfield
70 Kurdistan Goes Cellular
Vian Rahman
78 Investment Opportunities and Planning
Strategy in the Kurdistan Region
Osman Shwani, Minister of Planning
81 Boomtowns in the Kurdistan Region
Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman,
KRG Representative to the UK
84 Kurdistan’s Treasures: A Window into the Past
Shines a Light on the Future
Kathryn Cameron Porter
87 Planes, Automobiles and Little Motorized Canoes
Michael Howard
89 A Business Visitor’s View of Kurdistan
Michael Thomas, Director General of the
Middle East Association
92 Roaming Kurdistan: Mountain Adventures
Stafford Clarry
98 Doing Business in the Kurdistan
Region of Iraq – a Turkish Perspective
Mehmet Sepil, CEO of Genil Enerji
100 Turkish Business and the Kurdistan Region
Professor Michael Gunter
102 The Transformation of the Peshmerga:
a Personal Account
Tom Hardie-Forsyth
106 Safety and Security
Karim Sinjari, Minister of State
for the Interior
CHALLENGES AHEAD
109 The Road Ahead
110 Future Challenges: Kirkuk
Professor Brendan O’Leary
116 Federal-Regional Relations in Iraq
Jonathan Morrow
119 Economic Development in Kurdistan
Dr. Zeki Fattah, Senior Economic
Advisor to the Prime Minister
RESOURCES
125 Kurdistan’s Natural and
Human Resources
128 The Kurdistan Region’s Oil and Gas Law
Jonathan Morrow
134 Profiles: Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, KRG
Representative to the UK and Qubad J. Talabani,
KRG Representative to the US
138 Key Questions on Oil and Gas
Dr. Khaled Salih interviews Dr. Ashti Hawrami,
Minister of Natural Resources in the KRG
143 Profiles: KRG UK Representation and
KRG US Representation
146 Capitalizing on Kurdistan’s Water Resources
Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, KRG
Representative to the UK
HOW TO INVEST
150 Nine Maxims for Wise Investors
Jonathan Morrow
152 Rich Rewards for Adventurous Investors
Tanya Goudsouzian
156 American Investment in Kurdistan
Terry Dunmire, Director of Business
Development at DynCorp International
160 In For the Long-Haul
Wayne Culbreth, Managing Partner of FDF
Capital Management
162 Investing in Stability
David Bohigian, Assistant Secretary for
Market Access and Compliance,
US Department of Commerce
KURDISH SOCIETY
165 Rapid Transformation
166 Universities of Kurdistan:
Knowledge Powers Growth
170 Empowering the Young
Taha Barwary
172 Building an Inclusive and Tolerant Kurdistan
Qubad J. Talabani, KRG Representative to the US
175 Pinching Yourself in the Other Iraq
Christopher Hitchens
178 Directory The Kurdistan Region : Invest in the Future
His Excellency Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani introduces the Kurdistan Region
The Kurdistan Region of Iraq is experiencing an unprecedented period of development, which we were able to consolidate because of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s
regime in 2003. Having emerged from the darkness of dictatorship into the light of democracy, we are determined not to squander this opportunity.
The Kurdistan Region can be an example to the rest of the country Foreword
We believe that Iraq can be a free, democratic, federal, secular, and pluralistic country if sufficient
efforts are dedicated to this goal. With our clear and comprehensive vision for the future, the Kurdistan
Region can be an example to the rest of the country in achieving peace, stability, democracy and
economic development.
To focus on development, we have created a unity government in our region, in which all political parties are included, and through which every person in the region is represented.
The Kurdistan Regional Government is determined to operate as the servant of the people in a transparent and accountable way, while upholding the principles of human rights and civil liberties. The Kurdistan National
Assembly (KNA), our regional parliament, makes the law, which the courts uphold, and our ministries manage most aspects of political decision-making.
There is a great deal to do – our people have suffered from genocide, and our region endured
decades of neglect. After years of isolation, we are embracing foreign interaction and encouraging foreign
direct investment.
To facilitate external engagement, the KNA passed our Investment Law in July 2006. This is a
comprehensive and investor-friendly law, offering generous incentives to outside investors, including the
right of full property ownership, tax and customs duty exemptions, repatriation and partnerships.
We believe that the private sector is the true engine of sustainable economic growth and that this law will
encourage the growth of this vital part of our economy by strengthening the legal guarantees
covering foreign investment.
In August 2007, the KNA passed the Kurdistan Region Oil & Gas Law. Under the Iraq Constitution,
regions have the right to manage their own previously untapped oil and gas reserves. We are implementing
our rights, but will share the oil revenue with the rest of Iraq, to benefit not only the people of our region, but
also the rest of the country. This law ensures that our people will be served by the most reputable
international oil and gas companies.
The National Assembly has also passed legislation to ensure that the rule of law is upheld at all times and that our law enforcement authorities have the necessary power to punish illegality and corruption if it occurs.
These pieces of legislation exhibit the close working relationship between government and parliament and show the progressive and spirited mindset of both. We are determined to avoid the problems that have bedeviled the rest of the country. Rather than let sectarian hatred and political infighting cripple us, we are taking positive steps to maintain and consolidate stability and prosperity.
We are especially enthusiastic to reform our agricultural sector. We are blessed with highly fertile soil and abundant fresh water reserves. We were once Iraq and the region’s breadbasket, but to destroy our social fabric Saddam Hussein instituted a program of forced urbanization, moving people from rural areas to collective towns. Now we currently import food-stuffs that we could grow ourselves, at competitive costs of production. We
aim to reverse this situation and become an exporter of food to countries throughout the Middle East.
Our industrial sector is also primed for investment.
Our workforce is ready to embrace hard work, and keen to learn new skills. Under Saddam, industry was stifled in Kurdistan – we are ready to reverse that trend.
Tourism is another obvious area for development. We are blessed with striking mountains and gently
undulating lowlands. The Tigris, Euphrates and their tributary rivers run though our land. Our people have
long taken advantage of our stunning natural heritage...
Editor Brendan O’Leary
Assistant to the Editor Michelle Grajek
Group Editorial Director Claire Manuel
Managing Editor Samantha Guerrini
Editorial Assistant Lauren Rose-Smith
Copy-Editor Nick Gordon
Group Art Director David Cooper
Art Editor Nicky Macro
Designer Zac Casey
Group Production Director Tim Richards
Group Sales Director Andrew Howard
Sales Manager Jim Sturrock
Sales Executives Martin Cousens
Sorin Dumitru
Laurie Pilate
Client Relations Director Natalie Spencer
Vice President Business Development Maysoon Kaibni
Deputy Chief Executive Hugh Robinson
Publisher and Chief Executive Alan Spence
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© 2007. The entire contents of this publication are protected by copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means: electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
The views and opinions expressed by independent authors and contributors in this publication are provided in the writers’ personal capacities and are their sole responsibility. Their publication does not imply that they represent the views or opinions of the Kurdistan Regional Government or Newsdesk Media Inc. and must neither be regarded as constituting advice on any matter whatsoever, nor be interpreted as such.
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