President Rashid: Iraq returns practicing its role in the region

INA-  Baghdad

The President of the Republic, Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid confirmed on Wednesday, that Iraq returned to practice its role in the region, noting that it receives support from everyone.
In an interview with Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper, followed by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the president said: "Change from a dictatorial and totalitarian regime to democracy and freedom is not an easy process within any society, and we suffered before 2003 from the effects of dictatorship and totalitarian regime, which led to the disintegration of society and the interruption of relations with the outside world."
 
 
"War does not solve problems, but rather complicates them and creates new ones," he said, noting that "the priority over the past years has been to eradicate terrorism".
 
"Terrorism and extremism are not only a state problem, but the problem of the region and the world," he said.
 
"Our steps now, after the elimination of terrorism, are moving towards implementing a program that includes serving citizens in terms of rehabilitating infrastructure and providing services, expanding freedoms, fighting poverty, raising the standard of living and social security ceiling, eliminating unemployment by activating the private sector and encouraging investment in the country, and discussing the issuance of the oil and gas law, which will be an important factor to solve most of the existing problems," the president said.
 
Regarding the water crisis, President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid stressed that "Iraq is a downstream country for the waters of the Tigris, Euphrates and tributaries rivers, and most of our tributaries are linked with Iran, and the two countries, Turkey and Iran, must take into account our water situation."
 
"Relations between the federal government and the government of the Region are good, there are differences of opinion, and most of the outstanding issues between the two sides can be resolved," he said.
 
"The Arab and Kurdish peoples have a strong and ancient cultural bond, and a social and religious bond as well, and therefore it is necessary to promote culture," he said, adding: "We are proud that many Kurdish leaders have a very strong Arab culture in terms of language, literature and poetry."
 
The president affirmed his support for the Iranian-Saudi dialogue, expressing his hope that "this rapprochement and dialogue will be the main factor to establish security and stability in the region as a whole."