Salih: Iraq and East Christians Have Significant Contributions in Building Region's Societies

INA – BAGHDAD  

President of Republic of Iraq, Barham Salih met with His Beatitude Patriarch of Babylon for Chaldeans Cardinal, the head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, Mar Louis Raphael Sako alongside a number of Priests and Cardinals of the States of the region. 

Iraqi President Salih emphasized that the Christians of Iraq, the Christian of the East are ''the indigenous people of the region. The Christians stood side by side with their brothers from all backgrounds to confront the various challenges that they have faced,'' according to a statement by the presidency Media Office, received by the Iraqi News Agency – INA. 

''They have deeply-rooted and profound their historical, civilizational, and activist contributions as they have been integral to building the region's societies, and helped craft the authentic eastern norms and traditions,'' the President said, while noting that ''it is impossible to imagine the East without Christians,''

Salih explained that Pope Francis' visit to Iraq was a message of humanitarian solidarity for a country that had suffered from violence and conflicts, looks forward to bringing peace, security and stability, maintaining social cohesion as well as protecting all the components of the people.

Cardinal Sako, in turn, expressed his gratitude for ''President Salih's enthusiasm about resolving the issues of Iraq's Christians and his ongoing support for them,''

He commended the President's role in ''removing the obstacles faced by the Christians over the past years as he hailed his unrelenting quest for peace and for establishing peaceful coexistence among all the components of Iraqi society,''