Leaders from around the MENA region are arriving in Baghdad for a summit meant to lower tensions in the region.
Jordan’s King Abdullah on Saturday said the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership is testament to Iraq’s central role in building bridges and bolstering regional and international dialogue.
Delivering remarks at the conference in Baghdad, King Abdullah noted Iraq’s efforts to fortify the state of institutions, governed by the constitution and the law, and stressed that supporting Iraq in these efforts is a priority for all.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, are already in Iraq to attend the event.
Both the Gulf leaders met and discussed the conference and the regional issues on the sidelines of the event.
“Prince Tamim is a brother and a friend… The Qatari people are relatives,” said Sheikh Mohammed, taking to Twitter to post photos of the meeting.
During the meeting, the Dubai Ruler discussed the conference and its anticipated outcomes geared towards serving the lasting security and stability of Iraq.
The meeting is a chance for Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi to showcase his recent efforts to portray Iraq as a neutral mediator in the region’s crises and re-engage with the world after decades of conflict.
France is co-organizing the meeting, which is expected to discuss a regional water crisis, the war in Yemen and a severe economic and political crisis in Lebanon that has brought the country to the point of collapse.
French President Emmanuel Macron has already arrived in Baghdad ahead of the summit, and has already met with Al-Kadhimi as he aims to highlight France’s role in the region and its determination to press the fight against terrorism, his office said.
The French president considers Iraq ‘essential’ to stability in the troubled Middle East, it added.
Among the invitees include Saudi Arabia, which said it would be represented by its foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah were also expected to participate.
Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah meanwhile has left Kuwait to a lead a delegation of senior officials for the Baghdad summit of nine countries as well as number of international organizations.
Iraqi News Agency also reported that Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani was on his way to Baghdad for the regional conference.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meanwhile is representing Iran in the summit, and has already arrived in Baghdad.
For Iraq, hosting the talks is seen as a significant step. After decades of conflict, the country is seeking to reclaim a leadership role and status in the Arab world with a centrist policy and a determination among the country’s top leaders to maintain good relations with both Iran and the US and its regional allies