Wed, Sep 12, 2018
Foreign Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al-Jaafari delivered a speech at the 150th Session of the Council of the League of Arab States at a ministerial level held in Cairo on September 11, 2018, in which he discussed the Iraqi file and important files on the Arab arena, especially developments in Palestine, Syria and Yemen.
The Minister said at the beginning of his speech: "The countries of the world do not stand far from what Iraq is going through, just as it stood in its war against Daesh terrorist gangs and contributed to the victory it stands by its side in the reconstruction and reconciliation calling on " The outcome of the Kuwait conference (February 2018) that provided 30 billion dollars to Iraq, from mere decision to reality to the path of reconstruction and to help young people and to distance them from the terrorist environments.
On the other hand, he added: "To this day, Turkish forces are still penetrating inside Iraqi land despite all appeals. We do not reject the relationship with Turkey, and with any neighboring country, but that does not mean that we are silent about its breaches if it enters our territory and sovereignty whether it affects the Iraqi citizen or land or wealth. That is why my hope this meeting has been achieved under the Arab League.
He continued: Today we are witnessing a new war, the war of water, what you see now the harassment on the Nile, and try to squeeze the life out of Egypt, and Iraq by rivers which was planned in the past, which is not spontaneous work, noting that "water depletion in Iraq to low levels, means that agriculture, human, land and global civilization are threatened. "
"The Arab nations cannot find a wider view than Iraq to look at the world since the country is historically older, and it was plagued with dictatorships and got rid of them and made sacrifices and was subjected to Daesh terrorist groups. Dr. Jaafari said that the most rhetoric message that you can make is to stand with Iraq …there is no need to worry and fear of anyone, to confiscate our rights and our Quds and remain silent.
On the Palestinian issue, he asked: "What does it mean to hold money and aid from the children of Palestine and its young people? What does it mean that these young people spend their lives oppressed?" He called on the Arab League to "give them and consider them their children. The first in the confrontation should take a sufficient share of support and appreciation .
He said: "The whole world is looking at you, address these generations: let them remember a generation of ministers, presidents, kings and princes that passed by and said to us: One day these people were at the level of Arab destiny and not these countries or those."
Mr. Al-Jaafari commented on the Syrian file: "I have already voted here on this platform, and I spoke about the need to return to the Arab Home . What does it mean to delay Syria's joining the Arab League?" It means that the mass killings in Syria remain, and poverty remains, and from a tragic separation to another.
In the file of Yemen, His Excellency reiterated his call to adopt a political solution in Yemen. "What is not solved by the rifle can be solved through political discourse and direct dialogue. We sit face to face with them. There is no absolute right." He stressed that "Yemen pays a price. Yemen, which for some time has provided us with the model of just governance, there is no problem that can't be solved by dialogue. "
He concluded his speech by saying: "We are required to restore the Arab Home, Middle East to a state of harmony, integration and cooperation together as long as God - blessed and glorious - gave us all this capacity, and ability ", wishing this meeting to end with qualitative results, not only words and speeches, the dialogue must be transformed into a reality.
To read the full piece from Iraq Ministry of Foreign Affairs, click here.