Kurdish delegation heads to Kuwait to participate in Iraq's reconstruction conference

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) delegates on Saturday headed to Kuwait city to participate in the International Conference of Iraq Reconstruction and Development scheduled for Monday.

The delegation includes the KRG’s Minister of Planning, Ali Sindi, Erbil Governor Nawzad Hadi, Sulaimani Governor Haval Abubakr, and Duhok Governor Farhad Atrushi. It is being headed by KRG Minister of Housing and Reconstruction, Darbaz Kosrat Rasool.

“Iraq has been working on this conference for over three years. Initially, they planned to hold in Erbil, but due to political reasons and security concerns, the location was changed,” Rasool told reporters at a press conference in Erbil.

He praised the role of the Kurdistan Region in defeating the Islamic State (IS) and embracing over a million refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) despite having its budget slashed by the Federal Government of Iraq.

“The Kurdistan Region has been able to attract foreign investment despite its situation. We look forward to seeing more investments to come to the region in the future,” he said.

The Kurdish Minister also shared his hopes that the Kurdistan Region would receive its fair share of projects and funding resulting from the conference as it too was a victim of the war against IS. He argued the situation in the Kurdistan Region was secure and stable and would help bring additional investments and growth to the area.

The conference is scheduled to begin on Monday and end on Wednesday. Out of 212 investment projects, 80 of them have already been tentatively allocated to the Kurdistan Region.

Editing by Nadia Riva