Israel exports to Iraq might reach 100 million dollars

The Israeli exports institute said yesterday that the Israeli companies will not, more expectedly, win the possibility of joining the Iraqi market directly, at the beginning, but annual exports might reach indirectly 100 million dollars in the first three years.

The Israeli companies are working behind the scenes or through partnership contracts with Americam, British, Turkish, Jordanian, Czech, Polish and Australian companies.

Last Monday, the Israeli minister of finance Benjamin Netanyahu paved the way before Israeli companies direct contacts with Iraq by lifting Iraq's name from the list of enemy states. Netanyahu's decision came at the pressure of businessmen interested in establishing trade relations with Iraq after toppling Saddam Hussein's regime.

The Israeli export institute said that the Israeli companies can get work contracts in the infrastructure projects and these include water, sewage system, electricity and gas or in the field of delivering food commodities. The institute added that it will hold a conference on this matter on August 20 and several Iraqi businessmen living in Europe are expected to attend it.