Some 468 exhibitors from 29 countries seek business opportunities in the booming Region of Kurdistan.
The Fifth Erbil International Trade Fair was inaugurated on Monday in the presence of KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, KRG ministers and officials and representatives of consulates and foreign offices in Erbil City.
Some 468 foreign companies from 29 countries participated in Erbil's Fifth International Fair in addition to several local and governmental institutions and companies. The event is being managed by the International Fairs & Promotions-Iraq (IFP-Iraq).
The fair, which continues until October 15, includes industrial, agricultural, trade, transportation, communication, tourism, clothes, furniture, cars, information technology, and other fields.
KRG authorities seek to turn Erbil's Fifth International Trade Fair into a gateway for foreign companies and businessmen.
During the fair opening, outgoing Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, who opened the trade show, said: "The participation of hundreds of companies from 29 countries from the Middle East, Asia, and Europe is a marked increase in comparison with previous exhibitions, and a great achievement. It is a turning point to introduce the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as a developed Region in terms of its economy, as a strong trade center, and as a gateway for all of Iraq."
"There has been a tremendous growth in the number of participants in this fair, particularly European companies, signaling their awareness of the Kurdistan Region. Hundreds of companies, many of them world-renowned, have come from 29 countries to showcase their products. This increased presence reveals a strategic economic interest in the Kurdistan Region," noted the IFP Group Vice Chairman Mr. Fady Jreissati, who organized the event.
PM Barzani said: "We in the Kurdistan Regional Government have clearly stated that we believe in the importance of the private sector. We see the private sector as the driving force and the dynamo behind economic development. Therefore, we will continue in our efforts to facilitate business based on a free and open-market system."
He added: "We in Iraq, including all Iraqi communities, have faced tragedy, suffering, and hardship in the past. We are now trying to build a new Iraq in order to prevent a return of those difficult days. And we stand ready to help ensure a bright future for all the peoples of Iraq."
The fair has grown 60% from last year in terms of the number of companies and the space used, and is open to the general public. The event has expanded as the economy of the Region has developed. Companies from across Iraq, neighboring countries, and from the international community are using the event to explore business opportunities in the Kurdistan Region.
Erbil International Trade Fair Chairman Abdullah Ahmed Abdulrahim and Jreissati addressed the audience, which included diplomats, business leaders, and government officials. Both welcomed the dynamic growth of the fair over the past several years and praised the KRG for facilitating the event.
"This fair provides a forum through which commercial, economic, and cultural relations can be forged," Abdulrahim said. "I would like to highlight the role of the Prime Minister, Mr. Nechirvan Barzani, and the entire KRG in actively encouraging private sector investment."
The Erbil Expo was established in 2005, and has organized 23 exhibitions since.
More than 4,234 companies have visited the Kurdistan Region over the four years, and more than 1 million visitors have browsed the Expo.
"Kurdistan Region is part of Iraq, but we hope that the foreign companies see Kurdistan Region as a constructive part of Iraq; developments in Kurdistan Region means developments in all Iraq," said Barzani.
The KRG will do its best to promote the Kurdistan Region's economic sector, the PM added.
The fourth Erbil Expo was opened on October 15, 2008, in Erbil, and more than 500 foreign and local companies were present. Among the participating countries were Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Turkey, Iran, Lebanon, Oman, Poland, Russia, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Czech Republic, Syria, Taiwan, Jordan, Bangladesh, India, China, Belgium, Canada, and the UAE.
Germany, France, Austria, and Italy also participated widely in the exhibition. German companies, which had a wide participation in the fair, showcased their various products and services, seeking a business niche in the fast-growing region.
The German government is also supporting German firms investing in Kurdistan.
Paul Freiherfon, German Ambassador in Iraq, announced in Erbil on Wednesday that his country will strengthen its ties with Kurdistan Region in terms of trade and economy, and in the near future a number of German investors and businessmen will visit the region.
"The stable situation in Kurdistan has created a good opportunity for German companies and investors to work in Kurdistan," said the German Ambassador to reporters in a press conference. "We support the German companies and encourage them to come and work in Kurdistan, and from there to step toward other provinces of Iraq."
France had the second-largest share in the Fifth Erbil Expo with some 40 companies exhibiting, the French Ambassador in Iraq, Boris Bwalun, said. President Nikolai Sarkozi told us to pay attention to Iraq and Kurdistan Region in terms of reconstruction and renovation," Bwalun said.
Our presence in Kurdistan Region is not only grounded in security reasons, but also in a long history between the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and France, Bwalun said. "For instance, Danielle Mitterrand was in Kurdistan Region recently" said the French Ambassador.
France intends to have serious involvement in reconstructing Iraq and Kurdistan Region, according to the Ambassador. "Every month, a senior French delegation will visit Kurdistan Region for the purpose."
By Aiyob Mawloodi
© The Kurdish Globe 2009
