The Minister of Industry discusses industrial partnerships with the French ambassador

Baghdad-INA  
The Minister of Industry and Minerals, Khaled Battal Al-Najm, discussed today, Tuesday, with the French Ambassador, Eric Chevalier, ways to support industrial partnerships between Baghdad and Paris.
 
 
The ministry stated, in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): " Al-Najm received in his official office today the French ambassador to Iraq, in the presence of the representative of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to follow up on a number of joint files, and the minister referred at the beginning of the meeting to the visit of the Iraqi Prime Minister to France, describing it as an exceptional and important visit to advance the bilateral relations between Iraq and France to the best levels in light of the interest and desire of the governments of the two countries.
Al-Najm indicated, according to the statement, "the serious desire of the Ministry of Industry to enhance cooperation with France in various industrial fields and aspiration to more joint work during the coming period, especially in the phosphate, iron, cement and pharmaceutical industries," calling on French companies wishing to "participate in the conference on mining, petrochemicals and fertilizers, which will be scheduled for next May.
He stressed, "The Ministry's interest in the file of the pharmaceutical industry, since local production does not meet only 15% of Iraq's need, and the remaining percentage depends on imports in huge amounts," pointing to "the Ministry's direction and interest in supporting partnerships in the pharmaceutical field, especially since there are real work steps to establish a pharmaceutical industrial city in Baghdad." The focus is on producing specialized and qualitative medicines, such as cancer medicines.
The ministry stated that "the minister discussed during the meeting the partnership experience in the Karbala cement plant with the French company Lafarge and the possibility of establishing a new plant for the cement industry and concluding partnership agreements in the iron, phosphate and pharmaceutical industries in light of the ministry's direction to focus on strategic industries in the country to move and support the local economy, expressing readiness for cooperation with the French side in all industrial fields.”
For his part, the French ambassador confirmed that "his country's government is serious about working with Iraq in all fields and ready to encourage French companies to enter into business partnerships with the ministry in the phosphate, iron and pharmaceutical industries," noting "the importance of activating the French-Iraqi Business Council and nominating a representative from the Iraqi side."