Iraq’s newly elected President Barham Salih has urged the United States to consider Baghdad’s political and economic position as the countries negotiate on relief for Iraq from Washington’s reimposed sanctions against Iran.
“We do not want Iraq to be burdened with the US sanctions on Iran,” Salih told reporters during an official visit to Kuwait on Sunday.
The President asserted that Iraq is not mediating between Iran and the US, stressing the country’s interest comes first.
On Friday, Washington said Iraq can continue to import natural gas and energy supplies from Iran for a period of 45 days, so long as Baghdad does not pay Iran for imports in US dollars.
On Sunday, the Iraqi President held official talks with Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah in Kuwait as part of his first Gulf tour since taking office last month, according to a presidential statement. The tour will also include meeting officials in United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Salih lauded the deep relations between the two brotherly countries which have become a model in the region. He demonstrated that the inauguration of his Gulf tour, which begins from Kuwait, is a message in itself to prove the importance of relations between the two states, according to the president’s website.
Salih reiterated the need for both countries to have a united position in international and regional forums in order to achieve full stability in the region to provide job opportunities for the youth and achieve reconstruction.
Salih pointed out that the peoples of the region have suffered greatly from the effects of dispute and asserted the need to look forward towards the future and to work on it.
"We have found that His Highness the Emir has a real keenness to support Iraq and to rebuild it. This stems from his wisdom and love for Iraq and its people,” said the President, adding: "we are determined to overcome the effects of the past, look towards the future, and focus on our common interests.”
Kuwait’s Emir affirmed that his country will spare no effort to help Iraq and stand by its side in the reconstruction stage after the elimination of ISIS terrorist organization.
During his visit, the Iraqi President returned several Kuwait artifacts and acquisitions stolen from the Emiri Diwan during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
Salih indicated that his visit to Kuwait would witness the “handover of a batch of Kuwaiti property and Kuwaiti archive materials saved in the coffers of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the rest being handed over in subsequent installments.”
Salih and his accompanying delegation departed Kuwait on Monday morning for the United Arab Emirates.
