THE summit of the leaders and Arab and regional countries that convened in Baghdad the other day marked a significant push to the idea of building such relations of partnership, co-operation and economic integration that would enable Iraq to revive its effective and balanced role in the region and in the neighbourhood. President Sisi’s participation in the work of that landmark summit, as he noted in the speech he delivered to the summit, reflected Egypt’s keenness on continuing to support the Iraqi government in its efforts to consolidate the national state with its institutions in a way that enables it to safeguard the country’s security and stability and protect Iraq’s potentials and territorial integrity. In an objective perspective, the summit’s theme and topics qualified it to serve as a platform for reviving commitment to the established principles of international relations. And it was in this connection that the Egyptian leader made special reference to the principles of good neighbourliness, non-aggression, mutual respect of the sovereignty of countries, unconditional refraining from interference in domestic affairs and abandoning the policy of creating a de facto situation by means of military or material power, in addition to refraining from providing safe havens or any forms of support to terrorist and extremist groups or moving their elements from one country to another. All such principles and orientations are certainly conducive to the creation of the relations of co-operation and partnership considered favourable for realising the aspirations and reciprocal interests of peoples, thereby maintaining security and stability in the entire region.
Reasserting such an orientation in the case of Iraq is in fact a politically commendable attitude especially given that the Iraqi people has over the past years come to experience a plethora of huge challenges but that its army and security apparatuses have managed to combat terrorism and defend the country’s unity and national fabric. Complementing these efforts have been the Iraqi government’s moves to introduce such economic reforms at various levels and in various sectors as are deemed necessary for bringing about a considerable leap. Egypt, President Sisi explained in his speech to the summit, therefore stands keen to help the Iraqi government in all its efforts aimed at realising stability in the country and reviving its historical ranking and effective Arab and regional role. Also pointing to this attitude has been Egypt’s active participation in the work and activities of the tripartite co-operation mechanism which seeks to coordinate economic, trade and other aspects of ties between Egypt, Iraq and Jordan. The shared keenness on convening the tripartite mechanism’s summit conferences and ministerial meetings on time implies sufficient evidence of the worthiness of multilateral co-operation especially regarding the maintenance of a working system for following up the progress of joint projects and activities, in addition to the continuous identification of fresh vistas for mutually rewarding co-operation. Participation in the Baghdad summit for regional co-operation and partnership therefore reiterates Egypt’s keenness to stand by Iraq in its efforts to spread reconstruction and development and promote a favourable regional atmosphere.
Discussion about this post