Foreign Ministry: prolongation of war in Ukraine will lead to humanitarian disasters

BAGHDAD-INA

Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Thursday that the prolongation of the war in Ukraine will lead to humanitarian disasters.

 A statement by the ministry, received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), stated that "Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein received the Dutch Minister of Trade and Development Cooperation, Liesje Schreinemacher," noting that "during the meeting, current issues on the Iraqi, regional and international arena and topics of common interest were also discussed in addition to the latest developments in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

According to the statement, Hussein said, "Iraq is opposed to imposing economic sanctions  on any people, and from the same premise, it does not support aggression by one country against another, stressing that “the continuation of the war in Ukraine will lead to other humanitarian disasters, including threatening food security in many countries, especially in consuming societies and non-oil countries.”

He affirmed, "Baghdad's keenness to strengthen bilateral cooperation mechanisms at various levels to achieve the common interests of the two friendly peoples, especially activating the joint Iraqi-Dutch committee, which will reflect on the investment, development and cooperation sectors.”

 The minister pointed out that "Iraq seeks to establish the best relations, achieve partnership between Iraq and the Netherlands, and continue cooperation in the sectors of training, trade, and agriculture," noting that "Iraq is a fertile environment for investment, due to its many wealth."



 He stressed "the need for the Netherlands to participate in the reconstruction of infrastructure, and to benefit from its expertise in the field of water resource management," praising "the efforts of the Iraqi government in combating terrorism and eliminating this phenomenon from its roots that posed a threat to Iraq and the rest of the countries in the region, and the support provided by the Netherlands to Iraq in the fight against the terrorist organization ISIS, as well as training support for the Iraqi military and security forces.

 He stressed "the need for cooperation and coordination in the field of human rights," noting "the Iraqi government's commitment to human rights standards and its quest to cooperate with the international community in this field."

Hussein reviewed "the efforts of the Iraqi government in dealing with the issue of immigration, and the measures it has taken to return Iraqis stranded at the borders of a number of European Union countries such as Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, through special flights organized by Iraqi Airways," stressing "the importance of continuing the immigration dialogue with the European side, and supporting programs to encourage the voluntary return of Iraqi refugees in European countries by preparing special programs to rehabilitate this segment.

 He presented "a summary of the steps taken by the Iraqi government to combat smuggling networks and the solidarity of national authorities to raise community awareness and clarify the disadvantages and consequences of migration."

 For her part, the Dutch Minister of Trade and Development Cooperation stressed "the importance of Iraq as a pivotal country in the Middle East and its role in combating terrorism and stabilizing the region," praising the steps taken by the Iraqi government to solve the refugee problem and return them from Belarus.

 She emphasized "the Netherlands' constant readiness to support Iraq at all levels."