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KDC visits Sweden to promote investment
opportunities in Kurdistan
19.4.2006
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LONDON, England,
April 19, 2006, -- The Kurdistan Development
Corporation (KDC) visited Sweden last week to
highlight the investment opportunities in Kurdistan
to an audience at the Swedish Trade Council and to
attend a workshop on small business start-ups for
expatriate Kurds wishing to return home.
Nicholas Somerville, Executive Director and Mia
Early, Head of Investment Promotion at the Kurdistan
Development Corporation, were invited to Sweden by
Hugo W. Rickberg, Programme Manager for Voluntary
Repatriation at Swedish Refugee Aid (SWERA). Hugo W.
Rickberg said: "The department for repatriation at
swera are very pleased that the KDC accepted our
invitation to come to Sweden to present to both our
students and the Swedish business community. There
is a growing recognition that the young generation
of exile-Kurds with entrepreneurial skills are
essential contributors to the economic environment
of today’s progressive and relatively safe Kurdistan
Region. We hope that this unique initiative between
both our organisations, the Swedish Trade Council
and the Kurdistan Regional Government Nordic
Representation will be the first of many".
The half-day seminar held at the Swedish Trade
Council offices was attended by representatives from
the Kurdistan Regional Government and over 30
Swedish and Kurdish businesses. The seminar was a
successful way of briefing delegates prior to a
planned scoping mission to Kurdistan organised by
the Swedish Trade Council for the end of April 2006.
Taha Barwary, Kurdistan Regional Government
Representative to the Nordic Countries, said: "For
the Kurdistan Regional Government the establishment
of close relations with Sweden and Swedish
enterprise is imperative. Sweden represents not only
a case study for development, but has also been a
supporting friend of the Kurds by hosting a large
number of Kurdish refugees. Sweden is therefore an
important link to the Kurdish diaspora, which is
vital for the development of the Kurdistan Region.
The KRG and the Kurdish people have a very
pro-Western attitude and we wish to develop our
relations with the west further. Today there are
direct flights to Kurdistan from a number of
European countries, including Stockholm, that are
helping to facilitate these relations." |
Delegation at the Swedish Trade Council (L-R Hiwa
Afandi, KRG, Taha Barwary, KRG, Mia Early, KDC,
Carin Johansson, Swedish Trade Council, Nicholas
Somerville, KDC, Ala Riani, KRG, Gala Riani, KRG and
Hugo W. Rickberg, SWERA.
Photo:blackanthem.com
Nicholas Somerville, KDC |
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The seminar also provided the chance for delegates
to view the economic environment section of the
‘Kurdistan: The Other Iraq’ documentary (see http://www.theotheriraq.com),
enabling those who have not yet visited Kurdistan to
visualise the Region’s relative stability and recent
economic growth.
During the visit KDC contributed to a small-business
workshop as part of a unique and valuable programme
run by Swedish Refugee Aid for Kurdish Diaspora who
had decided to return to their homeland. Students
aged between 20 and 35 are working on business plans
for small enterprises that they aim to establish in
Kurdistan. Nicholas Somerville, Executive Director
of KDC, said: "We were veryimpressed by the
enthusiasm and commitment shown by the students;
their ideas were both inspirational and realistic.
We look forward to watching their ideas succeed in
Kurdistan and hope that this model of training can
be emulated for voluntary returnees from other
countries."
Mr. Somerville continued: "Every day the European
and North American, including Canadian, diaspora are
returning to Kurdistan bringing their much needed
skills and entrepreneurial mentality acquired in the
West with them. Kurdistan needs to foster and
promote a successful middle class which will build a
prosperous SME (Small and Medium Size Enterprises)
economic base, a base on which every successful
country ultimately depends".
The students will return to Kurdistan at the end of
May 2006 when some will remain to already start work
on establishing their businesses, bringing a
valuable home-grown entrepreneurial base to the
Region.
Kurdistan Development Corporation (KDC) is an
initiative established jointly by the Kurdistan
Regional Government (KRG) and international business
people to promote, facilitate and establish business
and investment opportunities in the Kurdistan region
in Iraq.
blackanthem.com
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