Businesspeople launch second joint council

Jordanian and Iraqi businesspeople on Thursday signed an agreement to set up a joint council, which is the second board for business owners from both countries to be launched in less than two months.

The agreement was signed yesterday by the presidents of the Jordan Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the head of the Association of Iraq’s Chambers of Commerce as a follow up on a protocol signed between the governments of both countries on June 11, 2008 to establish a business council.

Under the accord, the newly-launched council will be tasked with boosting economic and trade cooperation between the parivate sectors in both countries in addition to promoting investment and business opportunities.

On March 24, the Jordan Businessmen Association (JBA) and the Iraqi National Business Council (INBC) signed an agreement to establsih the Jordanian-Iraqi Business Council. The agreement was attended by Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit and Iraqi State Minister and Spokesperson Ali Dabbagh.

Jordan Chamber of Commerce President Nael Kabariti said both the JBA and INBC have bypassed the protocol signed by the Jordanian and Iraqi governments in 2008, under which the chambers of commerce and industry were supposed to set up the business council.

“We are not against the council they established but we are implementing what was included in the protocol between the two governments,” he told The Jordan Times.

The board launched Thursday was named the Jordanian-Iraqi Business Owners Council, which Kabariti said was in order to avoid conflict and confusion.

jordantimes