Turkey, Iraqi Kurdistan region sign cooperation programme

Turkish Minister of Development Cevdet Yilmaz and Minister of Planning of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government Ali Sindi signed Thursday a development cooperation programme. The programme covers 5 main areas of health, education, transportation, social supports, and public-private cooperation, as Turkish Minister Yilmaz said. "All those areas are the priorities for the cooperation. In addition to those areas, new ones can be covered at any time," said the minister. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Yilmaz said Iraq in general and Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government in particular was a significant region for Turkey concerning the historical, cultural, and economic ties between the countries. Yimaz pointed out that the Kurdistan Region needed infrastructural investments of more than 30 billion dollars and said it was impossible to carry out such investments with the budget only, emphasizing the need for public-private cooperation. Iraqi Minister Sindi said they attached great importance to the areas covered in the cooperation programme adding "We want to benefit from Turkey's experiences. We believe that we should take more steps for peace and friendship."