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The Ukrainian Construction Association (Ukrainska Budivelna Asotsiatsiya, UBA) hopes that Ukrainian construction companies will take part in a tender to construct objects in Kurdistan and start working there by late 2009 under a memorandum on cooperation signed with the Kurdistan Constructors Union/Erbil Branch (KCU), Lev Partskhaladze, the head of the UBA board of directors, has told Interfax-Ukraine.

"We hope our companies will start construction in Iraq by late 2009," he said.

He said that currently Kurdistan is preparing proposals on tenders to construct two objects, in which Ukrainian companies will participate.

Consortiums of Ukrainian construction companies belonging to the UBA will be created to participate in the tender, Partskhaladze told journalists at a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday.

According to Partskhaladze, Iraq is interested in attracting not only Ukrainian construction companies, but Ukrainian construction materials producers.

"Today about 70% of Ukrainian metal and 60% of Ukrainian cement are supplied to Iraq, but these are not direct supplies, but supplies through other countries," Sami Sh.Ali, the director of the Ukrainian-Iraqi Center for Economic Development, said at the press conference.