Iraqi PM says energy city project will create jobs, open space for investment

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani said the establishment of an energy city will create new employment opportunities and open a broad field for domestic and foreign investment, according to a Prime Ministry statement. He made the remarks during a meeting in Baghdad with Falah Hassan al-Khazali, head of the parliamentary "Al-Muntasirun" bloc, and other members of the group. The talks covered service, livelihood, economic and environmental issues, along with national files. Al-Sudani said an economic vision has been set based on activating development-focused sectors and preparing a program-performance budget. He outlined goals of fighting corruption, strengthening institutional functioning and gradually moving away from an economy dependent on oil revenues. The prime minister called on lawmakers to support the program-performance budget. Al-Khazali, for his part, stressed the importance of cooperation between the legislature and the executive and reiterated the bloc's support for anti-corruption efforts and economic reforms.