The investment authority in Thi-Qar has held a symposium in Nassiriya city to tackle means of developing an investment plan for the province with the participation of a number of provincial council members, heads of administrative units, businessmen and industry players.
"The symposium took place in a hall in Nassiriya's al-Janoub (South) Hotel and was opened with a speech by an investment authority member, Mohammed al-Battat, in which he outlined the authority's role in attracting investors, and foreign and domestic capital," according to a statement released by the Iraqi cabinet's national media center and received by Aswat al-Iraq- Voices of Iraq- (VOI).
Battat's speech was followed by another by the chairman of the authority, Ismail al-Abboudi, in which he stressed the importance of investment for infrastructure development.
Evening workshops were held with the participation of the heads of administrative units to specify key sectors for future investment in the country, according to the statement.
Thi-Qar, 380 km south of Baghdad, has an area of 12,900 square kilometers (4,980.7 sq mi). In 2003 the estimated population of the governorate was 1,454,200 people. Thi-Qar's capital is the city of al-Nassiriya.
It also includes the ancient Sumerian ruins of Ur, Eridu, Lagash and Ngirsu. Before 1976 the province was known as al-Muntafiq.
(Voices of Iraq)
