“ARMENMOTOR” AND “NOVRUZ GROUP” TO INTERFLOW INTO “ARNOV”

Cement, Tobacco and Lamps Will be Exported Iraq

Azg/am
2 Oct 04

Armenian “Armenmotor” and Iraqi “Novruz Group” companies signed a
treaty in Yerevan for creating a joined Armenian-Iraqi “ArNov”
company. Mustafa Jaf, owner of the Iraqi company, informed Azg Daily.

=1F”Novruz Group” consists of 9 branches and is specialized in the
spheres of tourism, transportation, contract construction projects,
good importation and other spheres. The headquarters is in Baghdad.

“Armenmotor”, founded in 1928, is specialized in motor
producing. Today the company produces electric motors of different
types, pumps, air-conditioners and other things.

As we have informed in our previous coverage, Mustafa Jaf and the
former Iraqi ambassador to Armenia Tarik Muhammad Yahya met with Ruben
Shugarian, deputy foreign minister of Armenia. Mustafa Jaf expressed
his willingness in importing Armenian goods and especially in opening
a joined Armenian-Iraqi enterprise and a bank.

Jaf said that 0.5 million tones of cement, big quantity of tobacco and
lamps will be imported to Iraq due to the signed agreements. “We hope
to come to an agreement with other Armenian companies as regards
importing water, juices and meat”, Jaf said.

There are no intergovernmental relations between Armenia and Iraq
these days, embassies are closed in Yerevan and in Baghdad. Mustafa
Jaf believes that the embassies will open soon and adds, “We represent
Iraq’s private sector and have no problem with good importing and
exporting.”

Jaf says that almost 80 percent of the Iraqi market is active today,
the north and the south of the country are quiet. “Today’s Iraqi
government is able to solve the existing problems, but they need
time. Iraqis are a patient nation”, he said.

Mustafa Jaf said that not everything we see on the TV corresponds to
reality. They only show explosions, kidnapping and bombing. “We will
cooperate with our Armenian partners. There are lot of big
international companies in Iraq, let the Armenian be one of them”, he
said.

By Tatoul Hakobian