Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi stressed Saturday that Iraq seeks to strengthen the environment of dialogue in the Middle East, and considers that the atmosphere of economic co-operation and security co-ordination in the region directly serves the interests of the Iraqi people as well as the interests of all the peoples of the region.
In his speech at the Jeddah Security and Development Summit, al-Kadhimi said that Baghdad supports the path of dialogue and negotiations to remove nuclear weapons from the region and make it safe, in the interest of the countries of the region and the whole world.
He highlighted that the priority is to find a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue, in a way that meets the legitimate aspirations and rights of the Palestinian people and the need to stop all aggressive measures, violations and aggressions against the Palestinian people.
He also affirmed Iraq's support of the truce in Yemen as a fruitful beginning to end the crisis and return stability, as well as its support for regional and international efforts aimed at resolving the Syrian crisis, dealing with its repercussions, and stopping the humanitarian suffering caused by it, and noted that Iraq stands by Lebanon in order to overcome its political and economic crisis, and build bridges of dialogue and cooperation to return stability to the country.
Al-Kadhimi explained that the risks posed by the repercussions of the war in Ukraine require intensifying regional and international efforts to find quick solutions and unite efforts in the field of ensuring food security and securing energy supplies.
On the other hand, he pointed out that the Middle East region has been significantly affected by the consequences of climate change, the water crisis and the risks of desertification, in addition to all the health challenges following the emergence and spread of epidemics such as the Coronavirus pandemic, and all these crises require solidarity and unity to face them.
Al-Kadhimi underscored that the emerging democracy in his country is still progressing despite the challenges and major crises, but it is facing political difficulties, which confirms the need to preserve the principles of democracy in public life, a path that requires more time and accumulation of experiences.
In his speech, the Iraqi prime minister proposed the establishment of the Middle East Bank for Development and Integration in partnership with the GCC countries, Egypt and Jordan, to be interested in sustainable regional development by financing infrastructure projects that would help connect the economies of the region, the development of regional electricity networks, oil and gas pipelines, highway networks, ports, airports and heavy industries with a wide regional market, and financing projects in the field of water resources management, desertification and climate change mitigation.
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