PROGRESS

Iraq's oil minister, in his strongest overtures so far to foreign investors, invited international oil companies to pitch investment ideas to Baghdad and said the country's interim government plans to quickly seek outside help in developing its vast but dilapidated petroleum industry, Thursday's Wall Street Journal reported.

"To develop the oil sector, we need foreign investment," said Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum, Iraq's newly appointed oil minister, who was here for his first appearance at a gathering of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.