As has almost become a tradition, the evening before CWD25, a join gala dinner hosted by the regional Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Mrs. Begard Talabani. The delegation from MoA, led by Director General Mr. Aleš Kendík, participated in this event. As this is the third time that the two ministries have met, there was no shortage of social conversation, and the "water" issue did not go unnoticed.   

The first day of CWD25 (May 13, 2025) was a conference day. Mr. Karel Kortanek, Consul General of the Czech Republic in Erbil, gave the opening remarks. This was followed by two keynote speeches by Minister Begard Talabani and Minister for Municipalities and Tourism Mr. Sasan Awni. Both representatives summarized the current developments in water-related issues within their ministries. Director General, Mr. Ales Kendik, presented the audience with an outline of Czech water management policies and discussed the impacts of climate change on water policies in the Czech Republic and Europe.

The conference included a series of presentations by Czech companies that had come to Erbil. Naturally, the topics focused on water, water industry, wastewater, and water management. The first day of CWD25 ended with a business lunch, during which several G2B and B2B meetings took place. And since this region is often referred to as the cradle of civilization, the distinguished guests were given a tour of the Erbil Citadel.

The following day, known as Tour Day (May 14^th, 2025), featured visits to three water-related projects. Each visit was designed to reflect the business interests of the Czech companies. The first stop was a greenhouse, where irrigation issues were discussed. This was followed by a visit to a wastewater treatment facility serving a large residential complex, with attention focused on the components required for the plant's operation. The final stop was Gomaspan Dam, a recently completed water project near Erbil that serves as the city's drinking water source.

We documented everything properly, presented and tried to sell as much as possible. We hope that CWD25 will bring the desired success to Czech business and that our economic diplomacy will be able to rightfully boast of a partial success in strengthening mutual trade relations between Czechia and the Kurdistan Region.

The Czech Consulate General in Erbil extends its gratitude to the Czech Ministry of Agriculture and the Czech companies that travelled to KRI. Thanks also belong to the regional Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, the Ministry of Municipalities and Tourism, and, last but not least, to our business and media partners.

Consul General Mr. Karel Kortánek personally expresses his appreciation to the staff of the Czech Consulate General for their efforts in preparing Czech Water Day 2025 in the Kurdistan Region.