Amidst growing public discontent, Baghdad is seeking urgent solutions to the electricity crisis in Washington.
On Wednesday evening, Iraqi Electricity Minister Ali Saadi Wahib discussed the reality of the electricity sector in the country and the accumulated challenges it has been suffering from for years, during his reception of Victoria Taylor, director of the Iraq Initiative at the Atlantic Council, and her accompanying delegation, as part of his official visit to the United States of America with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. Dailynews reports
In a statement received by Shafaq News Agency, Wahib stressed the need to move to quick, practical and implementable solutions that contribute to addressing the inherited crisis, increasing generation capacities, developing transmission and distribution networks, and securing the fuel necessary to operate the stations.
During the meeting, he explained that “our priority is to accelerate the implementation of strategic projects, address bottlenecks that affect the stability of the system, and take advantage of international partnerships, investments and modern technologies to achieve tangible results that are directly reflected in the hours of electricity supply to citizens.”
According to the statement, Wahib also discussed prospects for cooperation with research institutions and international companies, and the importance of expanding dialogue with American research centers to present Iraq’s vision and urgent needs in the energy sector, in order to support finding sustainable solutions and enhance energy security and economic development in the country.
This meeting coincided with dozens of citizens in the governorates of Maysan and Muthanna taking to the streets on Wednesday evening in angry demonstrations to protest the deteriorating state of electricity in the two governorates.
For many years, residents in most Iraqi provinces have been protesting the frequent power outages, especially during the summer, when temperatures sometimes reach 50 degrees Celsius.
For many years, especially during the summer, Iraq has suffered from a chronic electricity crisis characterized by frequent power outages, despite large expenditures and successive projects.
The crisis intensifies with rising temperatures, which doubles the pressure on the national grid and affects the lives of citizens and public services, amid continuous demands for a radical overhaul of this vital sector.
Shafaq.com