The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
opportunities
were being missed. The Embassy recommended that UKTI recruit a
senior
Iraqi
Commercial Officer to head the commercial team in
Baghdad.
772.
Mr Douglas
Alexander, the International Development Secretary,
announced
the
appointment of Mr Michael Wareing as joint Chair of the Basra
Development
Commission
(BDC) in December.460
Mr Alexander
described the BDC, which aimed
to bring
national, regional and international business knowledge together to
provide
strategic
advice to the Iraqi authorities on investment and growth, as the
“centrepiece”
of
Mr Brown’s economic initiatives.461
773.
Mr Wareing
told the Inquiry that he had three roles:
•
to champion
economic development, particularly in Basra and the
South;
•
to champion
international investment into Iraq; and
•
to help set
up and to chair the BDC.462
774.
Mr Wareing
said that his role was not specifically to promote investment
from
the UK:
“… the line
that I pursued was … to try to push investment, not just from a
British or
indeed a
European or even a Western … point of view, but basically any
investment
– and there
was a significant amount of investment from the Gulf
region.”463
775.
Mr Des
Browne, the Defence Secretary, visited Iraq with Mr Wareing in
mid-
March.464
Mr Browne
reported to Mr Brown that: “The overall mood in Iraq is
optimistic,
reflecting
the improved security situation, political progress and the new
focus on
economic
regeneration to which Michael [Wareing] is contributing.”
Mr Browne’s
discussions
with Iraqi Government Ministers had suggested several areas where
the
UK could
do more, including:
•
reinforcing
the UK team in Basra and Baghdad to support Mr Wareing’s
work;
and
•
redoubling
the UK effort to unblock the investment and hydrocarbon
legislation,
and to
encourage international business to invest in Basra.
776.
Mr Brown
hosted a reception at No.10 on 28 April 2008 to raise the profile
of
southern
Iraq as an investment destination and to enhance Iraqi Government
interaction
with
potential investors.465
460
Letter
Jones to Aldred, 13 December 2007, ‘Basra: Situation
Report’.
461
Letter
Alexander to Brown, 9 November 2007, [untitled].
462
Public
hearing, 16 July 2010, page 3.
463
Public
hearing, 16 July 2010, page 12.
464
Letter
Browne to Brown, 18 March 2008, ‘Visit to Iraq and
Kuwait’.
465
Minute
Cabinet Office [junior official] to Prime Minister, 25 April 2008,
‘Basra Investors’ Reception,
No.10: 28
April 2008’.
488