Foreign Ministry Senior Undersecretary Participates in Joint Meeting with two Committees on Relations with Iraq and Arab Peninsula in European Parliament

As part of the visit of the Prime Minister H.E. Mustafa Al-Kadhimi and his accompanying delegation to the Belgian capital of Brussles, the Foreign Ministry Senior Undersecretary has prticipated in a joint meeting held via video conference call with two committees on relations with Iraq and Arab Peninsula in the European Parliament to discuss the existing relations between Iraq and the Gulf Cooperation Council GCC and their future prospects.

During the meeting, the Senior Undersecretary presented a review on the development of Iraq’s relations with the GCC countries highlighting the deep social, tribal and cultural ties between the two sides as well as the remarkable progress in political and economic relations between both sides due to the formation of the strategic dialogue committee and the implementation following up of paragraphs of Memorandums of Understanding MoUs signed by the two sides.

At the concltion of the meeting, the two committees’ chairmen of Iraq and Arab Peninsula as well as the participating MPs affirmed that the EU will continue its security cooperation with Iraq in countering terrorism and extracting its roots and that the EU continues to support the political process and increase its investment and economic aids to Iraq.

H.E. Undersecretary affirmed that Iraq adopts dialogue, political consultations and peaceful ways as the solution to settle all differences that may arise with the neighbouring countries including the GCC countries commending the hosting of Kuwait to the conference of reconstruction of Iraq. He also touched upon the steps taken by Iraq recently to be open to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia KSA and the other Gulf States.

On their parts, the GCC countries’ ambassadors hailed the new approach adopted by the Iraqi foreign policy; the positive pivotal role played by Iraq to mitigate tensions in the region and the couple of rounds on Saudi-Iranian dialogue it has been hosting. They underscored that Iraq has been a significant country in the region and will remain so, adding that its stability means the political, economic and security stability of the region.