UK in first trade mission to Baghdad since arms-for-Iraq scandal
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, April 7, IRNA -- Britain's Business Secretary Lord Mandelson is urging UK companies to 'seize the opportunity' of investing in Iraq after leading the first British trade delegation to the war-torn country since the arms-for-Iraq scandal over two decades ago.
The UK's involvement in the 2003 US-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein regime was a benefit rather than an impediment when seeking out contracts, Mandelson said.
"There is a welcome mat out for British business. If I received any complaint today from Prime Minister (Nouri al-Maliki) downwards, it is that we are not seizing the opportunities fast enough," he said.
The business secretary is being accompanied by representatives from 23 British companies, including Rolls-Royce, HSBC bank, BP and Shell. Separately, defense firms are being encourage to bud for arms contracts.
He was expected to announce two new contracts, Maritime and Underwater Security Consultants secured an estimated $200 million project to map the seabed off the Al Faw peninsula and Iraq's biggest bank Rafidain using B-Plan Information software.
The visit came after Foreign Secretary David Miliband declaring that Iraq was 'open for business' in February when revealing the UK-based Mesopotamia Petroleum Company signed a £277 million joint venture deal with the Iraqi Oil Ministry.
The UK has not sent a trade mission to Iraq since the imposition of sanctions in the early 1990. Prior to that, the government was found to have breached its own guidelines when helping secretaly to arm Iraq during its 1980-88 imposed war against Iran.
An exhaustive 1,806-page report, published in 1996 after a four year inquiry, quoted former defense minister Alan Clarke notoriously admitting in the witness box to having been 'economical with the actualite'.
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