Hanwha chief meets Iraqi leader on postwar projects

Hanwha Group chairman Kim Seung-youn and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki held a meeting in Baghdad on Sunday to discuss business opportunities from the country’s ongoing postwar reconstruction.

The two leaders first met on May 30 when Hanwha signed an $8 billion contract to build a housing complex in Bismayah, a new satellite city of Baghdad.

During their meeting, Kim explained the preparations for the housing project and proposed to organize a separate task force team to discuss new businesses. 

“I want to contribute to developing the future relationship between Korea and Iraq and to have more opportunities to participate in the growth of Iraq,” Kim was quoted as saying by company officials.

“We need more specific discussions on the modernization of military facilities. And about the installation of solar panels at schools, we will carry out pilot programs promptly if you pick some model schools,” he told the prime minister.

According to Hanwha, the prime minister responded positively to Kim’s proposal, saying, “(I would) consider Hanwha not as a Korean company but as an Iraqi company and hope to continue our partnership.”

Since winning the Bismayah project, Hanwha has sought to join Iraq’s rebuilding efforts, including installing individual solar power facilities at every school in Iraq as well as in the new satellite city.

Following the meeting with the prime minister, Kim also met Iraqi military officials to express willingness to participate in the modernization of Iraq’s war-torn military facilities.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)