PM al-Maliki calls for German firms to invest in reconstruction projects

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Wednesday called for the participation of German companies in his country’s reconstruction projects. “Iraq wants to boost ties with Germany and is seeking the participation of German firms in the country’s reconstruction,” a government statement received by IraqiNews.com quoted PM al-Maliki as saying. PM Nouri al-Maliki received the German Ambassador to Iraq in Baghdad to discuss the ways of vitalizing the negotiations recently held by two German delegations in the Iraqi capital. After talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel on July 22, al-Maliki said there had been ‘great success’ in improving security in Iraq. He urged German business to invest in Iraq. German Economy Minister Michael Glos paid a surprise visit to Baghdad on July 12, becoming the first German minister to do so since the 2003 invasion. He also highlighted the opportunities in the country for German business. AM (S)/SR 1