S. Korea, Iraq sign deal on construction cooperation

SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Yonhap) -- A group of South Korean construction associations and the Iraqi government signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday on cooperation in rebuilding the war-torn country.

Representatives of the Korean Federation of Construction Industry Societies and
visiting Iraqi government officials exchanged the MOU at a ceremony held at a
Seoul hotel, with visiting Iraqi President Jalai Talabani attending.
Under the deal, South Korean construction companies will be able to participate
in the urban development and rehabilitation of the Middle Eastern country.
The deal also enables the federation to train Iraqi construction technicians.
Kwon Hong-sa, chief of the construction industry body, expressed hope that
"Iraq's ongoing efforts to rebuild itself will offer a raft of excellent
opportunities for Korean builders to export their construction technologies to
Iraq."
Talabani requested that many South Korean builders take part in his country's
reconstruction projects, saying, "We will enthusiastically lend the support of
our government" to the Korean builders who will have a presence in Iraq.
The Iraqi president has been in Seoul on a four-day state visit since Monday.
Talabani held a summit on Tuesday with President Lee Myung-bak on ways to
increase cooperation between the two countries.