Bilateral Meeting with H.E. Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani, Prime Minister 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. Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani, Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq.

The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation to the Director General and FAO for attending the 5th Baghdad Water Conference, highlighting the key role of FAO in supporting agriculture development and water management in Iraq.

The Prime Minister referred to the government’s efforts to transform its agrifood system and emphasized the key role of FAO in implementing the outcomes of the water conference, reiterating the government’s commitment to work closely with other FAO Members to implement the outcomes of the FAO Regional Ministerial Conference for the Near East.

The Director-General thanked the Government of Iraq for its hospitality and commended the Government for the improvement in food productivity and food system’s sustainability. He also appreciated the leadership of Iraq in hosting the FAO Regional Ministerial Conference for the Near East in 2022.

The Prime Minister referred to the National Food Security Strategy informing that it constituted a practical roadmap to achieve food security and enhance self-sufficiency, and appreciated FAO’s continued support to Iraq, especially in water management, rural livelihoods and climate adaptation, and referred to the ongoing implementation of the climate-resilient practices under the six-year SRVALI project - Iraq’s first-ever GCF-funded initiative including irrigation rehabilitation and soil restoration in Karbala, Muthanna, and Najaf regions.

The pair agreed to continue to expand cooperation focusing on government priority areas, including youth employment and rural development.