ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Britain’s outgoing Ambassador to Iraq Mark Bryson-Richardson on Tuesday told Rudaw that trade relations between the two countries are the highest they have been since the emergence of the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2013 and projected even further growth this year.
Speaking to Rudaw’s Nma Nabaz on his last day as the UK’s ambassador to Baghdad, Bryson-Richardson discussed the recent strategic dialogue held between the two countries, economic and trade relations, and investment opportunities.
Iraqi and British officials held a two-day strategic dialogue in London earlier this month, when the UK reiterated its commitment to support Baghdad in various sectors and the two sides agreed to increase cooperation in the fields of security, economy, human rights, and others.
Bryson-Richardson said the dialogue stems from a desire in both countries to have an expanded, modern partnership that covers a variety of sectors, beyond security. There are up to 1,400 British personnel in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq providing military assistance and advice to the Peshmerga and Iraqi security forces.
“We’ve obviously had a lot of cooperation on defense and security issues, but we also want to see that now expand into a whole host of areas, and through the strategic dialogue we cover those areas but we also talk about trade, economic relations, culture, health, a whole host of other issues for us to work together on and move forward on,” he said.
The UK-Iraq strategic dialogue aims to build on the Strategic Partnership signed in 2021. The next dialogue will be held in Baghdad in 2024.
The former UK ambassador also addressed the possibility of Iraq becoming a member of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, saying that would allow Iraq to become part of a wide international group focused on investment opportunities in the private sector, and could “hopefully” lead to investments coming into Iraq from the bank.
The board of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development approved Iraq’s application in 2020. Iraq’s foreign ministry at the time said that becoming a member will help to develop the banking and private sectors and encourage investment.
In 2022, trade between Iraq and the UK hit the highest level in ten years and Bryson-Richardson expressed hope that it will develop even further in the near future.
“There is actually growing trade between the two countries. It’s the highest it’s been since the emergence of Daesh [ISIS] in 2013. We see it growing to more than a billion pounds of trade at the moment, and I’m optimistic that in the coming months we’ll grow that even further.”
The diplomat said he was optimistic the trade would grow to 1.2 billion pounds for this year. He would also like to see more British investment in the fields of education and health in Iraq.
