Baghdad International Fair opens its doors

Iraq says its 10-day trade show seeks to establish economic, commercial relations with states.

BAGHDAD - The Baghdad International Fair opened its doors on Sunday for the first time since 2002.

The 10-day trade show follows investment conferences in Washington last month and London in May, with another such meeting due in Berlin this month.

"We hope this fair will help us establish economic and commercial relations with different countries around the world, and we also want to allow our private companies to build links with their foreign counterparts," interim Trade Minister Safaldin al-Safi said at the opening.

Despite an international embargo following Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, some 1,200 companies from 49 countries attended in 2002.

It was inaugurated by then vice-president Taher Yassin Ramadan, who has since been executed.

The fair's buildings were destroyed by aerial bombardment during the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

This year, the 36th time the fair has been held, 396 companies from 32 countries are attending, according to Hashim Mohammed Hatem, head of the government agency that organized the event.

Neighboring Iran has the most companies represented with 60, followed by Turkey with 36. France and Brazil also have a major presence with 35 and 20 firms respectively.

Hatem said that only five companies -- all of them Arab -- attended the first Baghdad International Fair in 1964.

Baghdad Governor Salah Abdul Razzaq said he hoped that each year would see increasing numbers of participants.

Iraq dropped a requirement for participants to pledge to boycott Israel, according to a foreign ministry memo.

The ministry distributed the document dated October 7 to foreign embassies and the Baghdad offices of international organizations, diplomats from two countries confirmed.

"The ministry of foreign affairs... has the honor to inform that Paragraph (45) of the Conditions & Instructions of participating in the 36th Session of Baghdad International Fair, implying that the companies willing to participate in the said Fair are bind to present an 'Israel-boycott document', has been called off," the English-language version of the memo said.

Previously, firms wishing to participate had to sign a document binding them to boycott Israel before their registration was confirmed.

Germany will also host a two-day investment conference for Iraq in Berlin on November 5 and 6, the country's embassy in Baghdad said last month.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=35430.