The President Concludes his Visit to Basra and Returns to Baghdad

 On Wednesday evening, December 7, 2022, the President of the Republic of Iraq, Abdullatif Jamal Rashid returned to Baghdad after concluding an extensive visit to Basra, at the head of a high-level delegation including Health Minister Salih Mahdi al-Hasnawi, Minister of the Environment, Nizar Mohammed Saeed, Minister of Water Resources, Aoun Diab Abdullah, Minister of Electricity, Ziyad Ali Fadil, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil, Karim Hattab and Member of the Iraqi Parliament, Aso Faridoun. He inspected the reality on the ground and provision of public services in the city.

His Excellency visited Basra Governorate's headquarters and met with its Governor Asaad Al-Eidani alongside the members of the local government. He also met with tribal leaders and dignitaries of Basra and the Heads of counties and districts and service departments of the city. While delivering the speech, President Rashid expressed his delight at the visit to Basra, to meet its people and its officials to share and exchange views to advance their city and resolve its problems. The ministerial program of the government cares about resolving Iraqi citizens' problems in all the provinces, improving living conditions and public services, and establishing security and stability, he added.

It is important to maintain security and work towards stabilizing the political situation in the city, His Excellency confirmed, as this is the best way to encourage investment and the private sector while noting that Basra is the economic capital of Iraq, and it has all the elements due to its geographical location and its human and oil resources. It has a specific situation, and it is Iraq's only gateway to the sea.

As a part of his inspection tour to Basra, His excellency paid a visit to the Presidency of the Court of Appeal in Basra, and met with the Head and the members of the Court, and he was briefed on the functioning and the tasks undertaken by the Court. Delivering a speech, President Rashid commended the role played by the judiciary to establish the principles of justice and rule of law to strengthen the prestige of the state and ensure justice prevail. He praised the efforts made by Basra judges, and spoke about their eagerness and their devotion to discharge their tasks.

The President emphasized the importance of Basra and its place as well.  There is a need to take care of Basra, he went on to note that, this should be done by improving the public services, to meet the Basra population's aspirations. He emphasized how important it is to maintain security and stability in the city because that would have a profound effect on uplifting the economic situation.

And then, His Excellency paid a visit to the University of Basra. He met with the president of Basra University, deans of the faculties, its staff, and a number of students. He praised the valuable achievements made by Basra University in various disciplines. And he was briefed on the functioning of the University and its future plans.
While delivering the speech, he said that the visit to Basra comes to be familiar with the reality of its situation, to meet with its different spectrum and components, and to listen to the problems that affect its population.

The President continued to say that the government has to overcome the difficulties and resolving the problems that they face. The issue of water is one of the top issues faced by Basra and Iraq at large. He stressed the necessity of preserving the water wealth while noting that traditional irrigation methods should be avoided, instead, we have to use modern irrigation methods, and illegal overtaking on the water of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers must be addressed, he went on to note that there is a need to work on revitalizing the marshlands through joint efforts between the Minister of Water Resources, the Ministry of planning, and the Ministry of Finance to provide the requirements and the budget required for this end.

After that, His Excellency President Rashid visited the children's specialized, teaching Hospital in Basra, and he met with its medical staff. During his visit to the hospital, His Excellency carried out an inspection tour of the wards and inspected the Department of oncological diseases of Children. The President was also briefed by the hospital director and medical staff on the requirements of providing treatments for various oncological diseases, and he was also informed the proposals that would help develop the work. 

His Excellency the President of the Republic stressed the need to make efforts and enhance cooperation to secure all medical supplies and medicines for this hospital, which provides services to patients in Basra and the rest of the governorates. He emphasized the need for the health sector to be given priority, care, and follow-up because it is in close touch with citizens.

President Rashid concluded his visit to Basra by visiting Al-Bida water plant for irrigation, Al-Abbas Desalination project in Basra, and he met with the Director of Waterworks and a number of engineers and specialists, and he was briefed on the desalination plant, and its production capacity to meet the people's needs to ensure access to drinking water.

The President emphasized that Basra is dear to us and it has a special place in the hearts of all Iraqis, and the People of Basra have made great sacrifices to defend and preserve Iraq and its people, and he called for the construction of further seawater desalination plants, to meet the shortfall of drinking water and to ensure access to pure and drinking water for Iraqi citizens.

Presedent