Iraqi President Barham Salih reaffirmed on Monday that his country maintains openness as a policy, an approach which he said benefits all fellow states in the region and guarantees forging balanced relationships that are in the interest of everyone.
“A strong, independent and sovereign Iraq is an asset to the entire region, a major stabilizing force and a basis for a system founded upon common security, economy, environment protection and sustainable development plans,” Salih was quoted as saying during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
“The countries of the region face many challenges, and there is a need for coordination and dialogue to overcome differences,” stressed the president.
Zarif on Monday paid an official visit to Iraq for talks with Iraqi leaders on bilateral ties and regional developments.
Heading a high-level delegation, Iran’s top diplomat arrived in Baghdad at a time when another Iranian delegation is holding nuclear talks in Vienna. He was received by his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein.
At a joint press conference, Hussein said that “Iraq has begun to play an important and vital role in the region to support stability and understanding to establish peace in the region.”
“We discussed the Iranian-Gulf relationship and Iraq’s role in,” he added.
“The region will have the final word, and cooperation between its countries will promote stability,” he reaffirmed.
After Hussein, Zarif said Iran supports a “strong role” for Iraq in stabilizing the region.
He also said Iran would cooperate with Iraq in many areas, including security, politics and economics.
The Iranian foreign minister is scheduled to meet with several Iraqi officials, and he will visit the city of Najaf and the Kurdistan Region during his trip.
On that matter, Iraqi think tanks predicted that Tehran is looking to back Baghdad’s mediatory role in the region.
“The timing on Zarif’s visit suggests that Iran wants to officially give Iraq the green light to move from being a message conveyer to a successful mediator in the region,” Ihssan al-Shmary, head of the Center for Political Thinking in Iraq, told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Shmary pointed out that empowering Iraqi mediation undoubtedly contributes to resolving many outstanding files, given that Baghdad enjoys ever-growing and strong relations with Arab countries in the region.
