King highlights Iraq’s pivotal role at 2nd Baghdad conference

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday delivered a speech at the second Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership, hosted by Jordan with the participation of heads of state and delegations, as well as representatives of Arab, regional, and international organisations.

King Abdullah expressed Jordan’s pride in hosting the conference, as it reflects the importance the Kingdom places on its ties with Iraq, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty also thanked Iraq Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al Sudani and French President Emmanuel Macron for their cooperation in holding the conference.

“Our meeting represents an opportunity to build on the outcomes of the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership held last year, and reaffirm our support for Iraq’s efforts to continue on the path towards development and prosperity, as well as bolster its security, stability and sovereignty,” the King said.

“This conference is also a chance to highlight Iraq’s pivotal role in the region and in bringing us together to bolster regional cooperation,” His Majesty added at the conference, attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein.

The King said the conference is being held at a time when the region faces security and political crises, as well as challenges to food, water and health security, amid the need to safeguard energy resources and supply chains, while dealing with the repercussions of climate change.

“We in Jordan believe that the region needs stability, just and comprehensive peace, regional cooperation, especially in the economic and development fields, as well as addressing the issues of poverty and unemployment. We believe that facing our shared challenges requires collective action with a positive, tangible impact for our peoples,” His Majesty noted.

The King highlighted joint projects between Jordan and Iraq, as well as with other Arab countries in energy, industry, trade, and transportation, which have been strengthened by the trilateral cooperation mechanism between Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq.

“We recognise the multitude and complexity of the challenges facing us, but we also believe that this conference is being held to serve our mutual interests in ensuring Iraq’s security, prosperity and stability as a key pillar in our region. We look forward to continuing to work alongside you all to strengthen our partnerships in service of our peoples,” His Majesty concluded.

The conference saw the participation of the presidents of Egypt and France, as well as the prime minister of Iraq, the ruler of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, the prime minister of Kuwait, and the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and Iran.

Participants also included the secretaries general of the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as the assistant secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Turkish ambassador to Jordan, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and European Commission vice president, and the special representative of the UN secretary general for Iraq and head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq.