Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq in Ottawa Participates in the Canada’s 2nd Middle East Strategy Annual Forum

The Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq in Ottawa, Wadea Betty has participated in the Canada’s 2nd Middle East Strategy Annual Forum, which was held by the Institute of Peace and Diplomacy under the auspices of the Canadian Ministry of Defence, with the presence of a large number of diplomats, ambassadors and academics.

The forum included a number of discussion sessions that addressed many topics such as the emerging security architecture in the Middle East, geopolitical competition between global powers in West Asia, Canadian defence and foreign policy, a topic on the global regional clash in Syria, the Iranian nuclear agreement and the regional role of Turkey, in addition to addressing the repercussions of water scarcity and climate change on Security.

The Ambassador delivered a speech in which he referred to the progress in the bilateral relations between Iraq and Canada and the means to support them by focusing on the economic and commercial aspect in a way that enhances the level of trade exchange, as it is still below the level of expectations and is not commensurate with the distinguished political relations enjoyed by both sides. The Minister also touched upon the role of Canada in combating ISIS, particularly its recent decision to extend the work of its military mission within NATO in Iraq, expressing Iraq’s appreciation for its role in helping it in this field, as well as the Iraqi mediation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and both Saudi Arabia and the United States of America to settle conflicts and realise stability and prosperity in the region, recognizing that the political stability in the region will lead to realising stability and development, which would be reflected on the stability and prosperity of Iraq.