A senior Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) delegation is visiting the Czech Republic to develop cooperation in agriculture, water resources and livestock. The programme is intended to open discussions on technology transfer, investment and commercial partnerships as the Kurdistan Region works to modernise its agricultural sector.
The visit began after an invitation from the Czech Ministry of Agriculture. It includes senior officials and representatives of private companies from the Kurdistan Region, with meetings planned with the Czech minister of agriculture and participation in an Agriculture Business Forum involving companies from both sides.
Water management and agricultural technology
Sarkawt Khoshnaw, director of relations at the KRG Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, told Kurdistan24 on Tuesday 3 November that the Czech Republic has established expertise in dam design and construction, as well as water-resource management. Those areas are central to the delegation’s discussions alongside agricultural industries and livestock development.
“The Czech Republic has considerable expertise in designing and constructing dams and managing water resources.”
Khoshnaw said the Czech side also placed particular emphasis on technology transfer and the development of agricultural industries. The delegation is therefore seeking more than government-to-government contact, with the visit also intended to connect Kurdistan Region investors and private-sector businesses with international companies.
Livestock and veterinary officials included
The delegation includes the KRG prime minister’s adviser for water affairs, together with directors-general responsible for:
- water resources;
- dams;
- livestock; and
- veterinary affairs.
Representatives of several Kurdistan Region companies operating in agriculture, water management and livestock are also taking part. Their presence gives the visit a commercial as well as an institutional focus, with the planned forum intended to examine possible partnerships between businesses in the two countries.
Khoshnaw said relations between the Kurdistan Region and the Czech Republic had a long history and had gained momentum after the Czech Consulate opened in Erbil in 2007. He linked the current visit to the development of agriculture in the Kurdistan Region in recent years and to the need for stronger connections between local investors, private businesses and international companies.
Cooperation agenda
The agenda combines infrastructure, natural-resource management and livestock. Official discussions are expected to cover Czech experience and technical capability, while the Agriculture Business Forum will bring participating companies together to identify areas for cooperation. The KRG delegation’s composition reflects the breadth of that programme, spanning water infrastructure, agricultural development, livestock and veterinary affairs.
The visit is also intended to encourage investment and establish business links between the two countries. For livestock interests, the involvement of the director-general responsible for livestock and veterinary affairs places animal production and related services within the wider agricultural technology and development discussions.
