The recent controversial visit to Iraq by the Austrian politician Yorg Haider was intended to win commercial transactions worth billions of Euros for various Austrian companies including one situated in the state of Carinthia and owned by Haider, a weekly Austrian magazine disclosed, according to KUNA.
Format, in a Saturday publication said Haider had recently conveyed a message to the Iraqi foreign minister, Naji al-Sabri, reminding him of the "Baghdad deal with the ministry of commerce."
Format published excerpts of the message, in which Haider expressed the expertise of the Austrian companies, especially highlighting a large project aimed at linking the Iraqi city of Kirkuk with Baghdad, using a network of railways and supplying Iraq with irrigation equipment.
Prior to Al-Sabri’s appointment to the post of foreign minister, he had served as Iraqi ambassador to Vienna for two years. During his term, he established close relations with Haider and met with him before returning to Baghdad.
Haider, whose image has been slammed as a result of the highly controversial visit to Iraq, has been seeking to polish up his reputation in the run-up for national polls, expected to take place next year.
(Albawaba.com)
