Event description
Join the Atlantic Council for its upcoming Third Annual Iraq Initiative Conference on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm ET.
The conference will convene a diverse group of leading experts, scholars, and policymakers from both the United States and the Republic of Iraq, including current and former senior officials. It will tackle the significant challenges and opportunities facing the country as it begins to move beyond years of volatility, with early signs of recovery and development.
This year’s focus will include the advancement of the energy sector, the Iraqi government’s efforts toward sustainable economic diversification, and the evolving trajectory of US-Iraqi relations. Participants will take part in dynamic panel discussions exploring how Iraq, the United States, and the international community can engage positively with Iraq as it navigates its unique sociopolitical, economic, and security changes.
The conference will be hybrid, with both in-person and virtual participation, and will include translation in both Kurdish and Arabic. The in-person sessions will take place at the Atlantic Council Headquarters, 1030 15th St NW, 12th Floor, Washington, DC.
9:15 p.m. – 9:20 p.m. ET | Welcome remarks
9:20 p.m. – 9:35 a.m. ET | Keynote speaker
H.E. Hamid Younus al-Zoba’i
Deputy Minister of Petroleum
Republic of Iraq
9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. ET | Panel one: The Iraqi energy sector in transition
Dunia Chalabi
Managing Director and Company Representative in Iraq
TotalEnergies
Julian Perez
Managing Director
Oil and Gas Climate Initiative
George Pickart
Managing Director, Global Government Affairs & Policy,
GE Vernova
Sara Vakhshouri
Founder and President,
SVB Energy International
Matthew Zais
Nonresident Senior Fellow
Atlantic Council
Moderator
Henry Haggard
Nonresident Fellow
Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET | Panel two: Paving the way for a diverse and sustainable Iraqi economy
Ferid Belhaj
Senior Fellow
Policy Center for the New South
Kadhim al Hassani
Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister
Republic of Iraq
Ahmed Tabaqchali
Nonresident Senior Fellow
Atlantic Council
Victoria Taylor
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iraq and Iran, Bureau of Near Eastern Affair
US Department of State
Moderator
Hiba Nasr
Washington Bureau Chief
Asharq News
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET | Panel three: US-Iraq relations: The year ahead
Marsin Alshamary
Assistant Professor
Boston College
Abbas Kadhim
Director, Iraq Initiative
Atlantic Council
Steve Lutes
Vice President, Middle East Affairs
US Chamber of Commerce
C. Anthony Pfaff
Nonresident Senior Fellow
Atlantic Council
Moderator
Thomas Watkins
Washington Bureau Chief
The National
Explore the initiative
The Iraq Initiative provides transatlantic and regional policy makers with unique perspectives and analysis on the ongoing challenges and opportunities facing Iraq as the country tries to build an inclusive political system, attract economic investment, and encourage a vibrant civil society.
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