Foreign Affairs

Today’s Newspapers Focus On The Results Of PM’s Participation In The UN General Assembly Meetings And His Upcoming Visit To Russia

The newspapers issued today, Sunday, concerned with the results of the participation of Prime Minister Muhammad Al-Sudani in the meetings of the United Nations General Assembly and his upcoming visit to Russia.

Al-Zawraa newspaper, which is published by the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, quoted the Prime Minister, Muhammad Shiaa al-Sudani, as confirming that the will for agreement prevailed in the new Iraq and the coalition government succeeded in restoring confidence in the political system.

Al-Sudani said in his speech during his participation in the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly: “I would like to convey to you today the greetings of Iraq and its people, which was among the fifty countries that founded this mighty organization seventy-eight years ago, and who still believes to this day in the general principles that the UN was founded on it and it contributes to all its programs out of its belief that there is no way for us but human brotherhood and solidarity for the sake of the continued safe existence of the entire world.”

He added, “The will for agreement and understanding prevailed in the new Iraq, and we succeeded in overcoming difficult days to give birth to our current government, which has a broad political coalition behind it that includes all Iraqi sects and components.”

He continued, “The government has adopted a comprehensive and ambitious reform program to correct the course, restore confidence in the political system, and provide a decent living for the citizen,” noting that “we have developed a program that carries critical priorities, representing files that cannot be neglected in their implementation and that lie at the core of the needs of our people.”

He pointed out that “these priorities focused on providing job opportunities, achieving a broad renaissance in services, fighting poverty, raising the standard of living, combating corruption, and rooting comprehensive reforms in the economic and administrative aspects and in the financial and banking sector to overcome the weak legacy of previous administrative systems.”

He explained, “We have come an important way in this path within a record period of time, and the investment environment in Iraq has developed to open up to the global economy and fruitful partnerships,” pointing out that “many agreements have been signed in different sectors, and Iraq has become a safe environment that attracts investors to great promising opportunities.”

He added, “Iraq is still an important oil country and a pivotal country in the global energy market, and it has high-importance opportunities, projects, and businesses in this field,” adding, “We launched the Development Road Project, the pioneering and newest project in the region, which is the vital land channel linking basic economic parts in our developing region, and the most appropriate and best road for trade and economic exchange in the region.”

He stated, “Many international institutions have reported on the spread of corruption in Iraq, and we diagnosed this scourge and called it the “corruption pandemic,” and we made fighting it our first priority, and we began pursuing wanted persons wherever they are and whatever their positions and affiliations, and handing them over to the judiciary.”

Al-Sabah newspaper focused in the upcoming visit of Al-Sudani to Russia and said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to complete its diplomatic preparations and the necessary preparations for the visit of Prime Minister Muhammad Al-Sudani to the Russian capital, Moscow, during the next few weeks in response to an official invitation from the Kremlin, following the successful visit and participation of Al-Sudani in the meetings of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

A statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that “Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of his participation in the high-level week of meetings of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly.”

The statement added that “the two sides discussed the prospects for joint cooperation and the development of bilateral relations between the two countries,” the Foreign Minister stressed that “the Iraqi side is working to complete the necessary preparations for the visit of Prime Minister Muhammad Al-Sudani to the Russian capital, Moscow, during the next few weeks.”

He explained that “the discussions between the two sides during the visit will provide an appropriate opportunity to discuss bilateral cooperation in the political and economic fields,” noting “the possibility of holding a meeting of the joint Iraqi-Russian committee on the sidelines of this visit.”

For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed his country’s keenness to develop bilateral relations between the two friendly countries, pointing out that his country looks forward to the visit of Prime Minister Muhammad al-Sudani to Moscow during the next few weeks.”

Prime Minister Muhammad Al-Sudani returned to Baghdad yesterday afternoon, Saturday, after a visit to New York and his participation in the meetings of the United Nations General Assembly in its 78th session.

The Prime Minister’s Media Office stated in a statement that Al-Sudani’s visit to New York included several events, meetings, and encounters with heads of state, heads of government, diplomatic officials, and heads of international organizations.

Regarding PM’s participation in the United Nations meetings, Rabie Nader, Director of the Prime Minister’s Media Office, said in a post on (x) platform: “An important and active Iraqi movement in New York, which included meetings and talks with an unprecedented number of leaders of countries from different trends and continents.” “The common link between all of them is the great desire to open up to Iraq and work in it.”

He added, “Over the course of six days, the Prime Minister presented – in the best possible way – Iraq’s official speech, which is based on balance, building serious economic partnerships, and building bridges of cooperation.”

He continued, “What is noteworthy is that most of those whom the Prime Minister met, including leaders and presidents, were very attentive and interactive with the priorities he adopted,” noting that “more than one head of state expressed a sincere desire to visit Iraq, in a clear (productive diplomacy) that was adopted by this government, which is keen to stay away from formal relations that do not go beyond the stage of taking souvenir photos.”

He stressed that “in addition to presidents and leaders, there was clear interest from research centers and institutions, which were keen to hold seminars with the aim of listening to the convictions and policies pursued by the Prime Minister in politics, security, economics and foreign relations.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency