Congressman Tim Walz spoke Wednesday in Washington, D.C., at a conference on business opportunities for U.S. companies in Iraq.

“Investment and entrepreneurship is critically important to Iraq’s future,” Walz said. “There is a tremendous amount of opportunity for U.S. businesses to take part in building a better future for Iraqis and creating jobs and prosperity here at home. We should all remember that this promise and opportunity would not be possible without the brave men and women and their families who have sacrificed so much.”

A Minnesotan at the conference, Ishraf Ahmad, manager of operations for Foreign Real Estate Consultants LLC, said: “I think this week’s conference marks a significant step forward in Iraq’s progress towards a brighter future. For companies like mine, it is absolutely vital to strengthen investment and business ties between the U.S. and Iraq, and I think we’ve reached a point where the security and economic conditions in Iraq make investment possible."

The conference was designed to promote investment and business opportunities in Iraq, provide matchmaking opportunities for U.S. and Iraqi firms, address the challenges to doing business in Iraq and facilitate meetings among U.S. firms and Iraqi ministers and senior government officials.