Iraq
Iraqi PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi (right) receives an invitation letter from Algerian Justice Minister Abdul Rashid Tabbi (left) in Baghdad on September 18, 2022. Photo: Iraqi PM's office
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and President Barham Salih received invitations Sunday to participate in an Arab summit held in Algeria in November, aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between the Arab countries, at the request of the Algerian president.
A delegation headed by Algerian Justice Minister Abdul Rashid Tabbi arrived in Baghdad to formally invite Kadhimi and Salih to participate in the summit to be held in November.
“Iraq’s keenness to make the summit a success and actively participate in its work expresses Iraq’s aspiration that this summit will play a key role in strengthening the Arab ranks,” Kadhimi said during the meeting with the Algerian side.
The Iraqi premier hailed the “historical relations” between Baghdad and Algiers and expressed the readiness to develop bilateral ties between the two countries further.
Salih also accepted the invitation, stressing his support for the summit “as it is an important conference to unify efforts and reinforce joint Arab action,” according to a statement from the President’s office.
Last month, Kadhimi traveled to Egypt to participate in a “mini-Arab” summit with regional leaders to address several topics and assert Iraq’s efforts to continue supporting dialogue in the region.
The visit was cut short when the prime minister had to return to Baghdad over renewed demonstrations by supporters of popular Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in front of Iraq’s top judicial body.
Algeria's invitation to the officials comes at a time of major political unrest in Iraq between Sadr and his pro-Iran rivals, as different factions in Baghdad have been unsuccessful in reaching an agreement to form a government almost a year after early elections in October 2021.
On Saturday, the Iraqi premier said that the country is going through a political crisis that may be the worst since the US invasion of the country in 2003.
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