On 24 June 2026, Mr David Tavželj, ICPE Executive Director, accompanied by Mr Jure Tomc, MBA, ICPE Advisor, and Dr Nenad Stanković, ICPE Representative in Vienna, met with H.E. Dr Hisham Al-Alawi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Iraq to the Republic of Austria and Permanent Representative to the International Organisations in Vienna and his team.
The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on the continuation of cooperation between ICPE and the Republic of Iraq. ICPE expressed its readiness to further support Iraq in strengthening bilateral relations with the Republic of Slovenia, as the host country of ICPE, and to facilitate relevant institutional contacts where appropriate. In this context, ICPE also proposed to arrange a programme of visits for H.E. Ambassador Al-Alawi during his next visit to Slovenia, and support direct engagement with relevant Slovenian institutions and partners.
ICPE outlined ongoing work related to wastewater and water technology transfer, including decentralised treatment, modular treatment solutions, water reuse, nanobubble technology and operator training. The discussion also referred to preliminary opportunities in solar photovoltaic projects in Al Anbar, potential healthcare manufacturing through a blood bag production facility, and possible industrial investment in the field of construction materials.
The meeting also touched upon ICPE’s earlier Iraq-related projects engagement. ICPE presented the Ambassador with an overview list of projects and proposals previously developed in relation to Iraq. It was noted that certain projects have progressed at a slower pace due to geopolitical tensions in the region and related operational constraints. Further technical and operational discussions on specific projects matters are expected to remain subject to direct coordination with the relevant Iraqi counterparts and project partners.
The meeting confirmed the relevance of maintaining direct working communication between ICPE and the Embassy of Iraq. As a follow-up to the meeting, ICPE will remain available to assist the Embassy in identifying relevant Slovenian institutional contacts and support the organization of the programme for the Ambassador’s visit to Slovenia. ICPE will also continue to keep the Embassy informed of relevant working engagements and developments connected to Iraq-related cooperation activities.
