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A high-level meeting was held between the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani, and the Executive Director of the International Olive Council (IOC), Jaime Lillo, regarding the steps taken by the Iraqi government to rejoin the intergovernmental organisation. This milestone underscores the growing importance Iraq places on revitalising its olive sector and highlights the expanding reach and inclusivity of the IOC family.
The subject of the meeting was the announcement by the Iraqi Prime Minister that the Iraqi Parliament intends to adhere again to the 2015 International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives. Iraq, which joined the IOC in 2008, had to withdraw a few years later, mainly due to economic and administrative difficulties preventing it from meeting its financial and institutional commitments linked to its participation in the Organisation. The decision by the Iraqi authorities to adhere again to the Agreement marks a decisive step towards the country’s reintegration into the IOC. The Executive Director, Jaime Lillo, welcomed the announcement and said that the Organisation’s Executive Secretariat would officially inform IOC member countries and launch the membership process as soon as it received the note verbale from the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The IOC welcomes Iraq’s commitment to strengthening its cooperation with the international olive oil community. This decision paves the way for closer collaboration, offering Iraq the opportunity to benefit from the IOC’s expertise in the areas of technical assistance, recognition of its olive oil analysis laboratories and training programmes, which are essential for the revitalisation and sustainable development of its olive sector. This move reflects the country’s desire to be part of an international framework that promotes good practices, sustainable development and research in the olive oil and table olive sector.
The IOC Executive Director was accompanied on this occasion by Andoni Olano, Head of the IOC’s External Relations Department. On Iraq’s side, important authorities present at the meeting included the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mahdi Sahar Aljibouri, the Governor of Wasit, Mohammed Jameel Al-Miyahi, the Iraqi Ambassador to Spain, Salih Husain Ali Ali, and the First Secretary of the Embassy, Ammar Sabah Mustafa Al Durra.
To find out more about Iraq’s previous steps, see our previous publication: Iraq returns to the International Olive Council.
