Iraq’s reconstruction confab in Kuwait ‘partnership opportunity’

World Bank’s country manager lauds HH the Amir for his initiative to hold int’l event

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 24, (KUNA): The World Bank (WB) is eager to partnership with Kuwait to help in the reconstruction of recently liberated areas in Iraq, said a regional WB official on Thursday.

Speaking to KUNA, the World Bank’s Country Manager in Kuwait Firas Raad lauded His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for his initiative to hold an international conference for the reconstruction of Iraq.

“The World Bank is honored to be part of this partnership opportunity,” said Raad who took the chance to extol Kuwaiti diplomacy, which led in recent years to the organizing of several humanitarian conferences for victims of war-torn and disaster inflicted countries.

On July 11th, Kuwait announced that it would hold a conference to help Iraqis overcome the destruction left by the so-called Islamic State (IS).

This initiative displays Kuwait’s utter commitment to global relief aid efforts and it adds another milestone to the country recognized as a UN global humanitarian center, said Raad.

Last month, Kuwait — through the Foreign Ministry — began contacts with Iraq and global partners in preparation for the conference to be held on its soil possibly in the first quarter of 2018.

The World Bank, established in July of 1945, is a global financial institute, which has around 189 member states and 120 bureaus around the world.

Kuwaiti national, Dr Merza H. Hasan serves as Executive Director and Dean of the Board of Executive Directors of World Bank Group (WBG).