Rashid: We respect all our neighbors, and the era of conflict is over

Baghdad – INA

President of the Republic, Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, affirmed on Wednesday that we respect all our neighbors and have good relations with them, and that the era of conflict is over.

Rashid said during an interview with The Washington Times, followed by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "Our focus and interest is on maintaining security and stability in Iraq, which is extremely important."
He pointed out that "we respect all our neighbors, and we have good relations with them and with all regional countries. We exchange visits daily, and delegations from European countries and countries beyond European countries—from Asian countries, from Arab countries, and from Middle Eastern countries—all of these come to Iraq, and we send delegations to these countries. The era of conflict is over."

He added, "We have taken good measures within Iraq. For example, the relationship between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the central government is good, and there is an exchange of views and delegations and visits almost daily. In addition, we have focused on improving services, but it will take some time to improve all of these services." He continued, "We face challenges. According to the latest census in Iraq, the population is (46) million. Of these (46) million, 60% were born after 2003. We have a large number of graduates, perhaps more than any other country, due to the number of universities and academic life we ​​have."

He continued, "I believe we can play an important role in the region. We have sought to bring the views of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia closer together and to restore diplomatic relations between them, which has benefited everyone. We have also made some proposals to Jordan and other countries."

He explained, "Syria is an independent country and they have a new administration or new rulers. We hope that the Syrian government will reflect the will of the Syrian people, whether through elections or through the democratic steps that need to be taken. They should try to accommodate all sectors of society so that no one feels marginalized or not treated as an ordinary citizen, and that everyone is treated equally."

He explained, "Our history is rich and dates back 6 or 7 thousand years. The first law was in Iraq, the first irrigation system was in Iraq, the first agriculture was in Iraq, and the first palaces or monumental buildings were built in Iraq. In addition, science, mathematics, and written communication all began in Iraq. Furthermore, Iraq was a center for all religions."