August 30, 2021 20:11 PM
The Baghdad Cooperation and Partnership Conference hosted by the Iraqi government was held on the 28th in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. The meeting was chaired by Iraqi Prime Minister Kadimi. President Macron of France, President Sisi of Egypt, King Abdullah II of Jordan and other 9 countries’ heads or representatives, as well as representatives of some regional and international organizations attended the meeting and exchanged in-depth views on issues such as easing the regional situation and reducing conflicts. . The participating parties reaffirmed that they will unite to fight terrorism together.
According to a report by Agence France-Presse on the 28th, Macron, the leader of the only extraterritorial country to attend the summit, said at a press conference held after the meeting that if the Iraqi government wants French troops to stay there to help fight terrorism, even if the US forces eventually withdraw, The French army will stay in Iraq. In July of this year, the United States reached an agreement with Iraq that US troops will withdraw from Iraq before the end of this year. Currently, France has 600 officers and soldiers in Iraq to provide support for the Iraqi government to combat the extremist organization “Islamic State.”
Qatar Al Jazeera said on the 28th that a major highlight of this summit is that Iraq hopes to play the role of a regional “mediator” to ease the relationship between the Gulf countries led by Saudi Arabia and Iran. The new Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdullahian led a delegation to attend the meeting. The Saudi representative is Foreign Minister Faisal. Iranian media reported that there is no sign that Abdullahian and Faisal will hold direct talks during the summit. However, the Iraqi side said that the talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia started in April this year are still continuing.
“Voice of America” stated that it is worth noting that at this summit, Abdullahian spoke in Arabic and “extended an olive branch” to the Arab countries, which served as a link between Tehran and its main rivals in the region, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The thawing of the relationship “brought a hint of optimism.” Abdullahian said that Iran hopes to improve its relations with countries in the region through economic and cultural cooperation without the consistent interference of international powers. He believes that foreign intervention has caused regional tension and insecurity.
Hatar Abu Diab, a professor of political science at the 11th University of Paris, believes that Kadimi has at least achieved some success in easing regional tensions by inviting representatives from many countries in the region to come together. He said that the United States‘ withdrawal from Afghanistan made regional countries feel tired and nervous, and many countries are seeking to end the confrontation after the United States stopped acting as a “referee.”
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