As per a statement released by the Iraqi state news agency (INA), the Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, has held talks with the Managing Director of Engineering and Design in the Middle East and Africa at Serco, Phil Malem, to settle disputes and develop the civil aviation sector in Iraq.
Iraq's State news agency Iraqi News Agency (INA) said,
Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Al-Sahhaf, confirmed today, Monday, that Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein held talks with the director of Serco Middle East Company, Phil Malem, specialized in air navigation services, to settle disputes with it and advance the civil aviation sector.
"The Minister of Foreign Affairs held discussions with the director of Serco Middle East Company, Phil Malem, which specializes in air navigation services. During the discussions, the outstanding differences between the company on the one hand and the competent Iraqi authorities on the other hand were settled."
Al-Sahhaf added, "The company's future work mechanism in Iraq was discussed in a way that guarantees the advancement of the civil aviation sector and the provision of the best possible services," noting that "the meeting was attended on the British side by Baroness Emma Nicholson and the British Ambassador to Iraq, Bryson Richardson, and from the Iraqi side, Ambassador Haider Al-Athari, head of the European Department, and the Iraqi ambassador to the United Kingdom, Muhammad Jaafar Al-Sadr.
Earlier in July 2021, Iraq's First Deputy Speaker Mr. Hassan Karim Al Kaabi had confirmed that the British Serco Company did not provide any service to the Iraqi air navigation.
At that time, Al-Kaabi had said in the national TV that the parliament was concerned about the issue of Iraqi air navigation, pointing out that there were several meetings held with the attendance of the Air Navigation Company, as they clarified that there is a contract concluded with the British Serco Company, amounting to $25 million annually.
However, as per him , the British company did not provide any service to the Iraqi state, and was in violation of the contract. He had noted that the Iraqi Air Navigation Company, is the one that managed the air navigation by Iraqi cadres, who received their wages from the Iraqi state, not from Serco.
Sources say , the contract covered a full range of services including the continued development of Air Traffic Services and Academy Training at Baghdad International Airport.
The Integrity Commission had also issued arrest and search warrants against two general managers at the Ministry of Transport, on charges of committing violations in contracts with the British company (Serco)
In another development,Turkish government on Monday has extended its restrictions on flights to and from Iraq's Sulaimaniyah International Airport until January next year.
Iraqi Aviation development : Iraqi Airways First Boeing B787-8 Dreamliner has touched down at Baghdad Airport (BGW).