(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
BAGHDAD: Several Middle Eastern leaders and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Baghdad yesterday at a summit hosted by Iraq.
Iraq's security has improved in recent years but it is still plagued by big power rivalries and heavily armed militia groups.
The strained relationships within the region have also led to disruptions to global oil supplies with attacks on Saudi Arabian oil installations.
Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said during a news conference that Iran and Saudi Arabia, which began direct talks in Iraq in April, were continuing their meetings and hoped for“positive results”, but gave no further details.
Organisers of the Baghdad summit said they did not expect any diplomatic breakthroughs.“Getting these countries to sit around the table — that will be achievement enough,” said one Iraqi government official.
Heads of state attending included Qatar's Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, King Abdullah of Jordan, and Macron. Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates sent their heads of government, and Turkey its foreign minister.
Macron was due to stay an extra day, meet Iraqi leaders and visit French special forces fighting Islamic State insurgents.
Iran and Saudi Arabia sent their foreign ministers. The two countries resumed direct talks in Iraq in April this year, but those meetings yielded no breakthroughs.
Iranian officials have said they are focused more on the outcome of talks in Vienna with Western powers over Iran's nuclear programme and international sanctions.
“The meeting in Iraq... is only focused on Iraq and how the regional countries can cooperate to help Iraq,” an Iranian official said ahead of the Baghdad summit.
Addressing the summit, Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi said that Iraq faced great challenges, but took great steps with the help of its brothers and neighbours.
He said the summit was held in a "sensitive and historical circumstance," and it represents "a new impetus" for Iraq in consolidating its foreign relations with the countries of the region and the world.
This conference expresses Iraq's desire to develop relations with countries and give priority to "the language of dialogue and non-interference in the affairs of the other, he added.
He continued, "Iraq can be one of the pillars of stability in the region, and this lies in refusing to turn Iraqi territories into an arena for international conflicts and refusing to be a place for attacking neighboring countries."
French President said that France will remain supportive of restoring Iraq's stability and maintaining its security.
Regarding the holding of the Iraqi elections, the French president pointed out that "the United Nations and the European Union will observe the elections to ensure their integrity and transparency," noting that "holding the parliamentary elections on schedule is a victory for Iraq."
Jordan's King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein said during his speech that this conference is evidence of Iraq's central role in promoting regional and international dialogue."
King Abdullah indicated that Iraq has been working to consolidate the state of the constitution and the law. Therefore, "there is a priority, which is to support Iraq in these efforts."
Egyptian President said that the Baghdad Conference strengthens the foundations of constructive cooperation between Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan. "Egypt will continue to support the Iraqi government in its efforts for stabilization," Al Sisi added.
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