President Rashid Meets Patriarch of Antioch and all the East of the Syriacs for the Syriac Catholic Church

 
Baghdad-INA

the President of the Republic of Iraq, Abdullatif Jamal Rashid met On Wednesday, with the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East of the Syriacs for the Syriac Catholic Church, Ignatius Ephrem Joseph III Yonan, alongside Ephrem Youssef Abba, Archbishop of Baghdad and Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Syriac Catholic Church and General Patriarchal Curator and Patriarchate Secretary Monsignor Habib Murad. The meeting was held at the Baghdad Palace.
 
The presidency of the republic stated in a statement, received by The Iraqi News Agency-INA that “President Rashid asserted that all Iraqi people of all backgrounds respect and cherish the Christians in Iraq, who are an original part of this land”, 
 
 
“In addition, he spoke about their contributions to Mesopotamia's civilization as well as their role in consolidating its cultural and historical heritage.Moreover, he praised the commitment of the Christians to building a new Iraq on their national level” the statement added.
 
 
 
A major focus of the Government's efforts has been strengthening security and stability, maintaining peaceful coexistence between all components and spectrums, and rehabilitation of infrastructure, particularly in areas affected by terrorism, the President said.
 
As part of his remarks, president Rashid spoke of unrelenting efforts being made to strengthen relations between all components and spectrums of the Iraqi people.
 
Hence, Baghdad and Erbil's relations are healthy, and meetings between the two sides are regularly held, he added
 
 During his remarks, the President stressed the importance of ensuring the implementation of the constitution and the protection of the state institutions that provide citizen services.
 
 During the visit, members of the delegation expressed their gratitude to His Excellency President for protecting the Constitution and committing to implementing its provisions.
 
They were delighted to meet the President. Additionally, they commended the proposals of the president to ensure peaceful coexistence among all components and spectrums. Furthermore, they praised the positive developments Iraq has experienced at various levels, especially in the areas of security and public service.
 
Also, the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church condemned Sweden's repeated acts of desecration of the Holy Qur'an.
The Swedish government should take reasonable measures to prevent recurring acts of desecration of the Holy Qur’an, which were rejected by Christians, he highlighted.
 
As a result of the burning of the Holy Qur'an, the President of the Republic stated that international reactions were affected regarding human rights principles, and freedom and respect for religion and belief.
 
A conference is being prepared in Qaraqosh during the next month, according to Ignatius Joseph III Yonan, the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church. 
 
In his remarks, His Excellency President Rashid wished the conference all the best and hoped it would succeed in achieving its objectives.