Weeks after the U.S. pulled the last of its troops out of Iraq, talks between a U.S.-based meetings organization and the prime minister of Iraq are under way to bring business development conferences to the country.

The Alliance for International Meetings and Commerce, managed by Washington, D.C.–based IMN Solutions, met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and other high-ranking Iraqi officials in December to launch an effort that it hopes will lead to business development conferences to help promote business in Iraq. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Business Council in Iraq sponsored the meeting.

“We applaud the Iraqi government for reaching out through its U.S. connections to explore ways to advance their business community. The business development conferences we discussed are good initial steps to making this happen,” said Jack Sammis, president and chief executive officer of AIMC, an organization that helps associations expand their reach globally.

AIMC members are skilled in planning international events and have knowledge of international commerce in a wide range of industries, said AIMC Chairman Bill Hudson. “We believe AIMC is the perfect partner to hold a series of business conferences to help jump-start the business potential that the nation has,” he added. The initiative would establish a series of conferences, workshops, and exhibitions with a focus on bringing U.S. and international businesses and experts of many industrial sectors into the country.