The Representation of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Austria participated in a business and investment forum for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, hosted by the Austrian Economic Chamber on Monday, 16 June in Vienna.
The forum was attended by more than 50 decision makers, mostly from Austrian small and medium-sized enterprises which already have, or are looking to, expand their business to Iraq. Dr Mustafa Ramazan, KRG Representative to Austria, was invited to hold a speech about market access and investment opportunities in the Kurdistan Region, and was available for questions from participating businesses.
Dr Surood Najib, the Ambassador of Iraq to Austria, in his opening remarks gave an overview of the vast potential Iraq has to offer to foreign investors despite current developments, and provided an insight into the political sphere and the security situation in the country. Isabel Schmiedbauer, Commercial Counsellor for Iraq of the Austrian Economic Chamber, spoke on the features of the economies of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, and elaborated on the legal and administrative conditions for investing in both markets.
The forum also featured a very positive first-hand account of Frequentis, an Austrian company specializing in communication and information systems for air traffic management and public safety and transport, which is currently implementing a project in Iraq.
During the presentations, the stability of the Kurdistan Region was highlighted repeatedly as a decisive advantage for attracting investments and enabling foreign companies to establish a presence in the market. The experts agreed that the reliable security situation and favourable investment conditions make the Kurdistan Region an ideal hub for foreign businesses.
Please find the detailed programme of the event at the following link (in German language only): PDF Programme