Shafaq News / The Czech Ambassador in Iraq, Petr Št?pánek, affirmed on Thursday his country's commitment through Czech oil companies operating in Iraq to assist Baghdad in achieving self-reliance in producing petroleum derivatives such as gasoline and gas, aiming to cease their import.
Ambassador Št?pánek stated that "Czech companies are working on developing the Iraqi oil sector, upgrading Iraqi refineries, which were primarily constructed by Czech companies in the past." He emphasized that "Czech companies involved in refinery development continue and enhance the work that began by initially constructing the refineries in coordination with the Iraqi Ministry of Oil."
He added that "Czech companies will contribute and assist Iraq through coordination with the Ministry of Oil to make Iraq self-reliant, especially in petroleum derivatives like gasoline and gas. Iraq should not be an energy and fuel importer from other countries but should rely on itself in producing petroleum derivatives."
Št?pánek clarified, "There is no official agreement at the ministerial level between the Iraqi government and the Czech government, but there is an agreement between Czech companies and Iraqi companies represented by the South Refineries Company."
He noted, "There is a modern Czech company conducting oil extraction operations positively and innovatively, capable of participating in the extraction of Iraqi oil in the coming period."