Page 13 - DMEA Week 07 2020

DMEA PETROCHEMICALS DMEA
withdrawal of their own forces from the coun- try, the chair of the Iraqi parliamentary defence committee, Badr Al-Ziyadi, is reported to have said.
“ e next government is responsible for set- ting a timetable, whether for the exit of foreign forces or the presence of military bases in some areas, especially in the Kurdistan region,” added Al-Ziyadi. “ ere is no movement or sorties of the coalition forces at the moment.”
Ayad Allawi condemns Iran’s interference in Iraqi government’s formation
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi has condemned Iran for its repeated tran- gressing of “red lines” in Iraq by interfering in the formation of the upcoming government headed by Mohammed Taw q Allawi.
“Once again, Iran crosses the red lines, and proves its interference in Iraqi a airs by chal- lenging the will of the Iraqis,” said Allawi in a statement.
He added that this interference came from Ali Akbar Velayati, the senior adviser to the Supreme Leader in international a airs, by a rming that “the Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Taw q Allawi will gain trust, and that the axis (Tehran – Baghdad – Damascus – Beirut – Pal- estine) will be one axis to expel the Americans and their allies.”
Allawi continued: “While we condemn this blatant interference in Iraqi a airs, we warn Iran that it will not be able to achieve its aspirations
of expansion in the Arab region, including Iraq, and this is far beyond its size and aspirations.”
He added that “the principles of neighbour- hood require the respect of neighbouring coun- tries and non-interference in their a airs, which is what we wish from Iran and other countries.”
Also on February 16, multiple rockets hit near the US embassy in Iraq’s capital, an US mil- itary source said, the latest in a urry of attacks against US assets in the country.
e assault sent warnings across the diplo- matic compound but it was unclear what was hit and how many rockets had made any impact, the US source and a Western diplomat based nearby said. ere were no casualties and only minor damage was su ered.
It was the 19th attack since October to have targeted either the embassy or the roughly 5,200 US troops stationed alongside local forces across Iraq.
The attacks are never claimed but the US has pointed the finger at Iran-backed groups within the Hashed al-Shaabi, a military network o cially incorporated into Iraq’s state security forces.
Sunday’s attack came just hours after one of the Hashed’s Iran-backed factions, Harakat al-Nujaba, announced a “countdown” to ousting American forces from the country. He tweeted a photograph of what he claimed was an American military vehicle, adding: “We are closer than you think.” ™
Iran’s petchem output to
hit 100mn tonnes by 2021:
official
He put the output volume of petrochemical industry in 2013 at about 56mn tonnes which hit 64mn tonnes in 2017.
He further noted that Iran’s petrochemical output will hit 100mn tonnes by 2021, showing an eighty percent growth in production capacity of petrochemical companies.
He made the remarks in an interview with Fars News Agency on Sun. and said that the country needs making a huge investment in petrochemical industry.
Iran’s petrochemical industry will witness a signi cant jump by 2021 and 42 petrochemical projects will be put into operation in this period, he emphasized.
Currently, 15 petrochemical projects have been put into operation while construction operation of 27 other projects will be completed by 2021, Alimorad stated.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he put the total production value in petrochemical industry
NEWS IN BRIEF
in 2013 at $16bn, the rate of which hit $17bn in 2017.
Iran’s production value in petrochemical industry will hit $25bn by 2021, Alimorad added.
Iran’s petrochemical industry needs $23bn worth of nancing, he said, adding, of total $23bn, $8bn of which has been provided while the rest $15bn will be provided through the capital market.
Syrian military shoots down drone near oil refinery
e Syrian armed forces shot down an unmanned aircra on Monday that was ying near an oil-processing plant in Syria’s western Homs province, the Ikhbariya state broadcaster reported on February 17..
e incident happened one day a er the Syrian military reportedly shot down ve drones that were attempting to attack an oil re nery in the area.
Rebel armed groups have been regularly targeting oil and gas facilities in Homs. One
such attack took place on February 4 and involved militants shelling three gas stations, which caused res and signi cant material damage.
US firm wins Kuwait refinery maintenance deal
OPEC member Kuwait has awarded a maintenance contract to a US construction company at its Al-Zour oil re nery with
a value of about Kuwaiti dinar 50.86mn ($168mn), a local newspaper said on February 18.
e government-owned Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC) has awarded the deal to O’Connor Engineering and Construction Company following competition by several bidders, the Arabic language daily Al-Rai said.
It quoted KIPIC sources as saying the selection of the US rm was approved by Kuwait’s Central Agency for Public Tenders.
e contract covers power and instrument maintenance at Al-Zour in South Kuwait,
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