Igor Avchiyan

Head of PR and Regional Affairs, LUKOIL Mid-East Limited

As part of its commitment to the United Nations Development Plan, Iraq’s government developed its own strategy for protecting the environment in 2013-2017. The document contained measures for improving air and water quality, reducing desertification, protecting marine wildlife, encouraging biodiversity and recycling.

Unfortunately history dictated otherwise: due to its battle with ISIS militants, Iraq’s government was unable to realize its strategy. With ISIS officially defeated last year, the economy and environment have come back into focus. Specifically, Iraq’s government wants to create a single system for monitoring and protecting the environment.

Today the government is increasingly focusing on waste management and recycling. IOCs have a special role to play as the locomotives toward a better future.

In particular, this spring Basra hosted its first seminar on waste management and recycling in the oil sector. Iraq’s Ministries of Education and Science, Health and the Environment, as well as the Basra Oil Company, ecologists, scientists and IOCs all took part.

At the end, the participants, including LUKOIL, all immediately proceeded to action by taking part in the unveiling of Iraq’s first oil industry recycling plant for chemicals, plastics and metals.