Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, stated on Monday that the priority of Iraq's foreign policy is to build strong relations with its geographical neighbors, foremost among them Jordan, emphasizing the historical ties binding the two countries.
اضافة اعلان
In an exclusive interview with Al-Mamlaka, Hussein added that relations between Jordan and Iraq must be strengthened, noting that the economic ties between the two nations are deeply interconnected and multifaceted.
He pointed out the necessity of constructing pipelines with neighboring countries to export Iraqi oil, particularly following the closure of the strait due to the Iran war.
Regarding the Basra-Aqaba pipeline project, Hussein explained that it is an old project for which various studies had been conducted. He revealed that Iraq has already begun executing this pipeline, reaching the Iraqi-Jordanian border, and that extending the oil pipeline has now become a vital necessity for Iraq.
Commenting on the Arab Consultative Meeting and the session of the Council of the League of Arab States at the ministerial level in its resumed 165th ordinary session in Amman, the Minister stressed the importance of Jordan's role in the meeting, given its strong relations with all Arab nations.
He emphasized that the meeting came at a crucial time following the United States and Iran reaching a memorandum of understanding. He noted the importance of Arab cooperation in economics, development, and other fields, but stressed that this cannot be achieved without guaranteeing the security situation.
Hussein explained that the region requires safety, peace, and a shift toward economic construction and development. He noted that the Iran war had a negative impact on the entire region and was not confined strictly to the United States and Iran.
He touched upon the war's economic impact on Iraq due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, as Iraq was unable to export oil—upon which it heavily relies—resulting in a financial crisis for the country.
He stated that the upcoming visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi to Washington on July 14 is important for consolidating and developing US-Iraqi relations, confirming that the core focus of the talks will center on economic matters, particularly in energy and other sectors.
He anticipated that understandings would be reached with the United States to continue investments in electrical energy, alongside other energy sectors.
A Constitutional and Internal Matter
The Iraqi Foreign Minister stressed that restricting weapons to the custody of the state is a constitutional mandate, and that the state is the entity responsible for managing these matters.
He added that confining weapons is an internal political issue, explaining that previous governments had also raised the matter of restricting weapons to state control.
"The US government also requests progress in this area, considering that weapons outside the framework of the state pose an internal threat first, but may also sometimes be used incorrectly toward other nations," Hussein said.
He noted that the Prime Minister included this issue in his agenda and discussions, pointing to ongoing dialogues between the Iraqi Prime Minister and armed factions to begin handing over weapons to the Iraqi Armed Forces.
He confirmed that some militants have indeed begun surrendering their weapons, and that the Prime Minister is leading the process of transferring weapons to the Iraqi Armed Forces.
Harder Than Fighting Terrorism
Hussein stated that the Iraqi government has made a definitive decision to combat corruption and will persist in doing so.
He opined that fighting corruption is more difficult than fighting terrorist organizations, pointing out that while Iraq suffers from several problems, the biggest internal challenge remains the issue of corruption.
He noted that there is popular support for this step, alongside substantial backing from political leaders, indicating that numerous tools are being deployed to combat corruption.
Al-Mamlaka
