Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said the Middle East has been affected by climate change, water crisis, dangers of desertification, health challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and called for joint efforts to confront them.
Al-Kadhimi said the Russia- Ukraine crisis requires quick solutions and called for efforts to ensure food security and secure energy supplies.
The Iraqi Prime Minister, during his speech at the Jeddah Security and Development Summit, suggested the establishment of the Middle East Bank for Development and Integration in partnership with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Egypt and Jordan.
The proposed bank will be concerned with sustainable regional development by financing infrastructure projects that would help connect the regional economies.
It would also prioritize the development of electricity networks, oil and gas pipelines, highways, ports, airports, heavy industries with a large regional market in addition to financing projects in water resource management, desertification and climate change mitigation.
“We meet today amid sensitive regional and international challenges and also amid great hopes and aspirations that cooperation, building bridges of trust and giving precedence to the language of dialogue to achieve a safe and stable environment that guarantees a decent life for the nations of the region,” Al-Kadhimi said.
He said Iraq has taken initiatives to enhance dialogue and that his country is proceeding with this approach in its and the region’s interest.
He stressed his country’s support for dialogue and negotiations to remove nuclear weapons from the region.
The Iraqi Prime Minister spoke on the need to find a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue that meets the aspirations and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
He said there is a need to stop all aggressive measures and attacks against the Palestinian people and to resolve the issue based on international resolutions, which constitutes the only way to achieve stability in the region.
Al-Kadhimi highlighted his country’s support for the existing Yemeni armistice as a first step to restore stability.
He said Iraq supports regional and international efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis. He added Iraq supports steps to resolve Lebanon’s political and economic crisis.
Al-Kadhimi said that Iraq – in cooperation with its neighbors and friends – played a key role in fighting terrorism and defeating ISIS.
He stressed that uprooting terrorism calls for strengthening national, regional and international efforts to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat the menace and dry up its sources of financing through joint security cooperation and information exchange and expertise.
He said that Iraq as an important oil producer faces environmental challenges and therefore it is considering investment in alternative energy.
Al-Kadhimi said that Iraq and the GCC countries have taken important steps to strengthen their relations in various fields, hence, the signing of two electricity interconnection agreements with Saudi Arabia and the GCC countries.
He said that Iraq is on way towards electrical linkage with Egypt and Jordan.
The Iraqi Prime Minister hoped the summit would build a better future for the nations of the region.
