Illiteracy down to 16% in Kurdistan region

Erbil, Dec. 28 (AKnews) – Illiteracy rate in Kurdistan Region has dropped to 16% from previous 37% nine year ago and the Ministry of Education is planning to bring the figure down to 10% by the end of 2015. The ministry of education has been implementing a through plan to reduce illiteracy in the Kurdish Region through opening quick learning schools and evening schools that allow adults to go to school for education. Illiteracy rate in 2000 and 2001 was as high as 37% but now this rate is only 16%, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Minister of Education Safin Dizayee told AKnews Tuesday. The opening of more schools and especially the increasing number of quick learning schools and centers for illiterate adults has been very effective, Faisal Hasan, an assistant to the Director General of Erbil Education Department says. He says fighting illiteracy has been a top priority for the ministry of education in the recent years. "In any area or neighborhood, if the majority of the people agree on having an education center they can raise a request to us and we will be happy to help them and provide them with teachers" Hasan said. Currently, there are 88 quick learning schools in the three provinces of Kurdistan Region which educate some 15,585 learners. The quick learning centers are for the people who have dropped out of school and their age won't allow them to go back to their grades. Reported by Ahmed Ghafur Ry/AKnews Tuesday, December 28th 2010 3:01 PM

Jordanian PM to arrive in in Baghdad to boost ties, increase oil imports

Baghdad, Dec. 30 (AKnews) - Jordan's Prime Minister Samir Rifai is expected to arrive in Baghdad Monday as part of an official visit to boost relations and increase oil imports from Iraq, according to a source at Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Office.

Rifai is the second high-level Arab leader after Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit, who earlier opened his country's consulate in Erbil city, to visit Baghdad after the formation of the new government.

Jordan is seeking to increase imports of 240 thousand barrels of crude oil from Iraq per month at 10,000 bpd which represents only 10% of the daily needs of Jordan.

"Rifai and Maliki will discuss ways to strengthen diplomatic cooperation between the two countries and raise the Iraqi oil exports to Jordan," the source who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media told AKnews.

Jordan and Iraq signed an agreement in 2006 under which Iraq exports oil to Jordan for two years. The agreement was extended in August 2008 to another three years with an increased discount of US$22 granted to Jordan from US$18 according to the previous agreement.

More over, expanding the role of Jordanian investment companies in the Iraqi reconstruction projects will be part of the discussions.

Mr Maliki visited Jordan on Oct. 17 heading a delegation from his political bloc in a tour to a number of countries in the region, including Iran, Egypt and Turkey where he discussed the government formation crisis.

Reported by Saman Dzayi
Sa/Ry/AKnews

Kurds insist on holding National Security Ministry

Erbil, Dec. 29 (AKenws) - Iraqi political parties have agreed to share the three security-related ministries, a Kurdish MP says, and one of which will be given to a Kurd. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government, approved by Parliament on Dec. 21, is formed of 42 ministries nine of which still unassigned due to political competitions including the ministries of the interior, defense and national security. The political blocs have agreed that the candidates to the security ministries have to be "neutral" and "qualified" Mohsen Sadoun of the Kurdish Blocs Coalition (KBC) says he is sure that the ministry of the National Security will be held by a Kurd. "According to the political agreements between the Iraqi political actors, the ministry of the interior will go to the National Coalition (NC led by Maliki), the defense for the al-Iraqiya, and the Kurds are demanding the national security ministry" said Sadoun. "being the third largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament, a security portfolios has to be given to the Kurds in the power sharing deals between the al-Iraqiya and NC" he said, "We want the ministry of the national security" he said. Another Kurdish MP Najmaddin Karim says political agreement is required for any ministerial post. And "Kurds, like Shia and Sunni Arabs have to have their share in the security ministries" "I am sure that the political actors will reach agreement to give the Kurds one of the three ministries" Kurds have seven ministries in the new government most notably the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry, in addition to the presidency, first deputy Prime Minster and second deputy parliament speaker. reported by Hevidar Ahmed Ry/AKnews Wednesday, December 29th 2010 10:21 AM