Bilateral Meeting with H.E. Fuad Hussein, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq

Baghdad - As part of his official visit to the Republic of Iraq, the FAO Director-General met today in Baghdad with H.E. Fuad Hussein, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq.

The Director-General expressed his appreciation to the Government and people of Iraq, highlighting the historical role of Iraq as a founding Member of the Organization, and for hosting the FAO Regional Ministerial Conference for the Near East in 2022.

The Deputy Prime Minister welcomed the Director-General to Iraq and provided an overview of the steps taken by the Government to achieve sustainable development and diversify its economy. The Deputy Prime Minister appreciated the strong and ever-growing partnership between Iraq and FAO, and the key role it plays in supporting the agrifood system transformation across different regions of the country.

The Director-General appreciated the country’s growing engagement in global and regional multilateral platforms and reiterated FAO’s commitment to support the Government of Iraq in dealing with the multiple challenges it faces.  In this regard, the Deputy Prime Minister appreciated FAO’s role in supporting Iraq in mobilizing Green Climate Fund (GCF) funding for the Strengthening Climate Resilience of Vulnerable Agriculture Livelihoods (SRVALI) irrigation and solar energy project in Iraq’s rural communities

Finally, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Director-General discussed additional means of enhancing FAO’s technical assistance to support Iraq in the sustainable management of water resources and climate adaptation.