The Netherlands Strengthens Agricultural Ties with the Kurdish Region of Iraq
On February 17 an MoU will be signed between the Kurdish regional government of Iraq and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Netherlands and Kurdistan Region of Iraq Sign MoU
On February 17, an MoU will be signed between the Kurdish regional government of Iraq and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the signing ceremony The Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, the Minister of Agriculture Mrs. Bergard Talabani and the Dutch Consul General Hans Akerboom will be present. The signing marks the start of a unique one-year policy advisory project. Three Dutch experts will assist the Kurdish federal government in drawing up a plan for the middle and long term development for agriculture and horticulture. The project is a long-standing aspiration of the Kurdish government which sees the Netherlands as an important partner country in the field of agricultural knowledge and technology. According to Hans Smolders, the Agricultural Counselor for Iran & Iraq, this is a unique opportunity to put the Dutch agricultural industry on the map in Iraq. Parallel to the project, several Public-Private projects will start with Dutch co-financing and the participation of renowned Dutch companies such as HZPC, Rijkszwaan, HortiXS and Delphy. In total, this involves an amount of approximately 20 million Euros. Perfectly timed as a great means of promoting trade with the Kurdish region of Iraq this move is a step towards developing strong agricultural ties between this region and the Netherlands for advancing economic development and promoting employment and stability!
