Iraqi Kurds court British business

LONDON, March 2 (UPI) -- The United Kingdom could establish stronger ties with Iraqi Kurdistan and greater Iraq through greater economic interest in the Kurdish region, officials said.

Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the high representative to the United Kingdom for the Kurdistan Regional Government, told a group of officials and business leaders in London the Kurdish region of Iraq provided a lucrative economic opportunity.

"We would like to see more British companies making the most of the opportunities in Kurdistan and the whole of Iraq," she said. "Stronger trade and investment ties can only add to the richness of relations between our two countries."

Officials in attendance said Iraq's Kurdish region was not only a viable economic partner but also a way for companies to establish themselves in the country for later business opportunities, the KRG reports in a news release.

The KRG said its northern regions of Iraq are in the midst of an economic boom in several sectors as the area has been relatively peaceful since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.