Minister of Foreign Affairs affirms that Iraq, In Principle, Opposes Imposing Embargo and Economic Sanctions on any people, and Does Not Support Aggression by One State against Another

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, has received the Dutch Minister of Trade and Development Cooperation, Ms Liesje Schreinemacher. During the meeting, Minister Fuad Hussein affirmed Baghdad’s keenness to enhance the bilateral cooperation mechanisms on various levels in order to realise the common interests of the two friendly peoples, particularly the implementing of the Iraqi-Dutch committee, in a way that reflects on the investment, development and cooperation sectors, stating that the support provided by the Netherlands to Iraq demonstrates the distinct level of the relations between the two countries in the field of agriculture, irrigation and all other fields.

Minister Hussein affirmed Iraq’s endeavour to establish the best relations, the importance of realising the partnership between Iraq and the Netherlands, and the continuation of cooperation in the training, trade and agricultural sectors. Stating that Iraq is a fertile environment for investment for the substantial wealth it enjoys, calling for the necessity of the Netherlands’ participation in the reconstruction of infrastructure, and to benefit from its expertise in the field of water resources management.

His Excellency commended the efforts of the Iraqi government in combating terrorism and eliminating this phenomenon from its roots which had posed a threat to Iraq and the rest of the countries in the region, commending the support provided by the Netherlands to Iraq in combating ISIS, as well as the training support for the Iraqi military and security forces, confirming during the meeting the need for cooperation and coordination in the field of human rights, referring to the Iraqi government’s commitment to human rights standards and its endeavour to cooperate with the international community in this field.

Mr Fuad Hussein reviewed the efforts of the Iraqi government in dealing with the issue of migration, and the measures it has taken to bring back the Iraqis stranded at the borders of a number of European Union countries such as Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, through special flights organized by Iraqi Airways, emphasizing the importance of continuing the existing migration dialogue with the European side, and supporting programmes to encourage the voluntary return of Iraqi refugees in European countries by preparing special programmes to rehabilitate this specimen.

His Excellency also gave an overview of the steps taken by the Iraqi government to combat smuggling networks and the coherence of national authorities to raise the community’s awareness and clarify the disadvantages and consequences of migration.

The two sides discussed the current issues on the Iraqi, regional and international arena and topics of common interest, as well as the latest developments of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The Minister confirmed that Iraq, in principle, is opposed to impose an embargo and economic sanctions on any people, and in this respect it does not support aggression by one State against another, and that the Iraqi people have suffered a lot from the scourge of wars. Thus, Iraq is against wars and the policy of imposing an economic blockade because it targets peoples and the continuation of the war in Ukraine will lead to other humanitarian disasters, including threatening food security in many countries, particularly in consuming societies and non-oil countries.

On her part, the Dutch Minister of Trade and Development Cooperation stressed the importance of Iraq as a pivotal country in the Middle East, commending its role in combating terrorism and stabilizing the region, stating that the Netherlands is always ready to support Iraq on all level, commending the steps taken by the Iraqi government to resolve the problem of refugees and return them from Belarus.