ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Baghdad summit laid the groundwork for joint cooperation on a regional level and solving problems through dialogue, Iraq’s foreign minister said on Saturday at the conclusion of the conference, attended by regional neighbours and France.
“Baghdad today built the grounds for joint cooperation on a regional level, and grounds to solve problems through dialogue, away from tensions,” Fuad Hussein told reporters. “All different topics were discussed in this meeting; economic relations and trade between different countries were a major part of the meeting.”
The Conference for Cooperation and Partnership, a summit held in Baghdad on Saturday in coordination with France, hosted heads of state and foreign ministers of Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the heads of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Arab League, and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The summit was organized in cooperation with France and French President Emmanuel Macron was in attendance.
“France had a great role in this meeting, thanks to the French President for his presence and his role with the Iraqi prime minister in arranging this meeting,” Hussein said, adding that a decision has been made to meet again in the future.
“The holding of this conference in Baghdad showcases Iraq's vision of the need to establish the best relations with the countries of the world based on the foundations of cooperation, integration, non-interference in internal affairs, and the prevailing language of dialogue, partnerships and mutual respect,” Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said in his opening speech at the conference.
The French President also expressed his optimism about the historic meeting that had regional foes gathered in the same room.
“Fight against terrorism, carry out structuring regional projects and real responses to the challenges of the Middle East. All of this can only be done together. The Baghdad Conference is historic. It is already a victory in itself. A new cooperation was born,” Macron said in a tweet.
A final statement from the Iraqi foreign ministry emphasized cooperation without interference.
“The participants acknowledged that the region faces common challenges that require the countries of the region to deal with them on the basis of joint cooperation and mutual interests in accordance with the principles of good neighborliness, non-interference in the internal affairs of countries, and respect of national sovereignty,” read the statement.
“The participants praised Iraq’s great efforts and sacrifices in its war on terrorism with the help of the international coalition, brothers, and friends; to achieve victory, they also welcomed the development of Iraq’s military and combat capabilities in a way that contributes to the consolidation and strengthening of security in the region, and they renewed their rejection of all types and forms of terrorism and extremist ideology,” the statement added.
Iraq put on the summit as it deals with political and economic crises after years of conflict and foreign interference within its borders. Attendees highlighted the importance of the stability of Iraq.
“The stability of Iraq means the stability of the region,” Hussein said.
The view was echoed by Turkey’s foreign minister. “If Iraq is unstable, the whole area will not achieve stability. We will keep supporting Baghdad to achieve stability,” said Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Both Turkey and Iran condemned foreign meddling in the region. Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said foreign interference will cause instability and his Turkish counterpart said the people of the region can resolve their issues themselves.
The summit received wide praise from inside Iraq.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani welcomed the outcomes of the summit and said he hoped that it will help achieve “peace and stability” in the region.
“The summit was successful in bringing forth several aspects that Iraq can play a role in for the sake of the Middle East’s security and stability,” influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr tweeted, thanking the visiting dignitaries and Iraq’s president and prime minister.
Following the summit, Macron said France will continue to assist Iraq battle the Islamic State group (ISIS) and help people displaced by the war return home.
“No matter what choices the Americans make, we will maintain our presence in Iraq to fight against terrorism,” he said in a press conference.
“ISIS has pushed thousands of threatened Iraqis to leave their country. We have invested heavily to allow these displaced populations to return. Concretely investing means supporting numerous infrastructure, education and health projects. We will continue,” he later tweeted.
The French president is expected to arrive in Erbil on Saturday night and visit Mosul on Sunday. He will meet with President Barzani and will also meet with the family of Hujam Surchi, a Peshmerga who was executed by ISIS in 2015.
