Washington, DC, USA (us.gov.krd) – KRG Representative Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman met with leading American business organizations last week to discuss trade and investment opportunities in the Kurdistan Region.

Ms. Abdul Rahman met separately with Steve Lutes, Vice President of Middle East Affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce, Martin Manna, President of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, and David Tafuri, President of the US Kurdistan Business Council.

Mr. Lutes, who signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federation of Kurdistan Chambers of Commerce in 2019, has been an advocate for greater cooperation between American companies and Kurdistan and Iraq. Representative Abdul Rahman and Mr. Lutes discussed developments in Kurdistan’s economy and potential ways of working together in 2022, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Mr. Tafuri, who co-founded the US Kurdistan Business Council in 2012 with several prominent American companies, has organized trade delegations to the Kurdistan Region almost on an annual basis and may do so again, depending on the status of covid-19.

The Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce represents 4,000 businesses, mainly in the state of Michigan. The Chaldean American community is well established but has retained strong links with its homeland and the Chamber of Commerce plans to do more to support the community there.