British Ambassador: Our view on Iraq has been fixed for 30 years, but now it has changed for the better, 19 FEB

 British Ambassador: Our view on Iraq has been fixed for 30 years, but now it has changed for the better

The British Ambassador to Iraq, Stephen Charles Hitchcock, confirmed today, Monday, that Iraq is a country of opportunities and investments, while expressing his optimism about the future of Iraq, due to the creativity, courage, dignity and endurance of the Iraqi people .

Hitchen said in a speech during the economic conference of the Iraqi-British Business Council, "My mission will end in two weeks, and it is natural for us to start thinking about what conclusions we can offer, and I share with you several ideas after a beautiful experience with you in Iraq. I am optimistic about the future of your country, and the source of optimism is the creativity, courage, dignity and endurance of the Iraqi people ."

He added, "Despite the challenges and problems, you can see that the trend towards the future is more positive in the current year 2025, and this is better than the situation in 2020, which was better than 2015, which was better than 2007, and the trend towards the future is clear and the existence of challenges cannot be ignored or denied, and you know the size of the challenges ahead of you ."

He continued, "For 30 years, British ministers viewed Iraq as a country of crises, a dangerous region and a security challenge. Now, for the first time, we have changed our ideas and see Iraq as a country of opportunities and investments," indicating, "The presence of our embassy in Iraq is not because of the past, but because of the future, and this is a turning point in our ideas ."

He explained, "The Iraqi government is responsive to our ideas and we have a contact group for the Iraqi economy which includes the  G7   and the World Bank," explaining, "We spoke with government advisors with the aim of unifying economic ideas ."

He added, "Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's recent visit to London was to renew trade relations and announce projects worth 12 billion pounds sterling, and we have coordination and cooperation with the Prime Minister's Office to implement these projects in the coming period ."

Hitchen concluded by saying, “The most important existential challenge is not ISIS or regional problems, but the demographic and economic situation before you. We expect, over the next 15 years, a decline in the price of oil and an increase in the population, as in 2003 there were 23 million people, now there are 46 million people, and in 2040 the number will reach 70 million people, and this is a big challenge link