Baghdad:Czech Ambassador to Iraq Peter Kavan emphasized the critical need to bolster cooperation between Iraq and the Czech Republic in the areas of water resources management, water treatment, and infrastructure modernization. He underscored the potential of leveraging Czech expertise in technology, environmental engineering, and smart agriculture to address these challenges.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, during the opening of the Czech Water Business Forum in Baghdad, Kavan highlighted the transformation of water issues from purely environmental concerns to factors directly affecting economic development and security. He pointed out the challenges Iraq faces due to water scarcity, climate change, and population growth, all impacting agricultural production.

The ambassador noted that Iraq is actively pursuing economic development and infrastructure modernization plans, which presents promising opportunities to enhance international cooperation and utilize specialized technical expertise. Despite being a relatively small country, the Czech Republic boasts advanced expertise in managing water resources, hydrology, water treatment, pumping technologies, and environmental engineering, alongside smart agriculture and climate change adaptation.

Kavan remarked on the longstanding history of friendship and cooperation between the two nations, with Czech and former Czechoslovak professionals contributing to Iraq’s development for decades. This history has established a foundation of trust and potential for future partnerships.

The Czech Water Business Forum aims to transition the Iraqi-Czech relationship from political ties to practical collaboration. It seeks to connect Czech companies and institutions with Iraqi counterparts to discuss joint projects and explore investment and technical cooperation opportunities. Kavan expressed that the future of bilateral relations should focus on economic partnerships through expertise transfer, technological cooperation, innovation, and mutual investment.