Middle East leaders and French President Emmanuel Macron attended a summit in Baghdad on Saturday with the aim of reducing regional tensions across the region.
Kyiv. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – August 29, 2021 – Forums and Conferences
The summit launched by Iraq comes at a time when the country is promoting its role as a new regional mediator, with the participation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, Jordanian King Abdullah, and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Saudi Arabia was represented by its foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian will represent Iran at the summit.
The high-level meeting sent a message of Arab solidarity with Iraq.
Macron, whose country is co-organizing the meeting, described Saturday’s meeting as “historic”, displaying Iraq’s return to stability after the devastating war against ISIS, which was defeated in 2017.
President Barham Salih said that “Iraq, which for years has been a title of war and conflicts, hosts leaders and representatives of the region today to affirm their support for Iraq’s sovereignty and prosperity.”
Political experts predict that the summit will prove successful in its objectives.
For his part, Mahmoud al-Abadi, the former Jordanian deputy prime minister, told Arab News that “even the least important meetings” between leaders “are better than no meetings.”
“The importance of the personal chemistry and relationships that develop in such meetings and its effect on lowering tensions should not be underestimated,” he said. But Abadi cautioned against being overly optimistic. He added, “If the Syrians are invited and attend the summit, it will change the rules of the game.”
Al-Abadi added that the summit will be a boost for Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi, who is facing a difficult internal political battle after the announcement of the election campaign of populist Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr.
On Friday, al-Sadr reversed his decision to boycott the October elections and said his movement would participate in order to “end corruption”.
Adnan Abu Odeh, a former advisor to Jordan’s King Hussein and King Abdullah, said the regional meeting revolves largely around Iran. “When regional and world leaders meet, the main issue is usually a regional issue, and in this case, the focus is likely to be on Iran and its relations with other countries.”
Abu Odeh said US President Joe Biden’s foreign policy “has worried Arab leaders — if you can’t count on the Americans, you’ll start looking for regional solutions.”
As for Reem Badran, a former parliamentarian in Jordan, she said, “Any meeting of the region’s leaders gives us hope.
“We are always optimistic when leaders come together,” she added, adding: “The new situation is no different. On the economic front, we hope that these summit meetings will translate into economic stability, especially if major projects in the field of energy and transportation can be implemented.”
Read also: The End of the US Combat Mission in Iraq
Source: Ukrgate
