Dr.Barham Salih Speech before the Arab Summit

 In his Speech before the Arab Summit, the President: Iraq will not be Part of any Dispute and will be Leading  Efforts to Consolidate Peace and Development

President Barham Salih emphasized that Iraq aspires to a promising role to be a point of convergence and not of dispute, stressing that we will not be part of any axis, but we will be leading efforts to consolidate peace and development.

In his speech at the Arab Summit in Tunis, Sunday, March 31, 2019, His Excellency indicated that the military triumph against the alleged caliphate is an important development, a great achievement, and is an outstanding Iraqi victory.

President Salih lauded the support and assistance of friends, neighbors, and the countries of the international coalition.

The President stressed on the importance of completing the military victory with a diligent work for a radical and endless address to the phenomenon of terrorism and extremism as well as eradicating the deviant ideology, rebuilding the liberated cities and repatriating the internally displaced people to their homes.

His Excellency added that the basic principle of Iraq's international relations, notably its relations with its Muslim neighbors and its Arab depth and extension, is the principle of joint action with all on the basis of the common interests of the peoples and the countries.

The President explained that the culture of the zero equation in the political dealings among the countries of the region has greatly delayed the joint work opportunities among us, indicating that joint and productive action as well as the consolidation of the culture of wining for all parties on the basis of common interests is the only thing that can dispel political misunderstandings, and correct the political trajectory for the benefit of life and coexistence in peace and contentment.

President Salih emphasized Iraq's explicit and categorical rejection of the decision of annexing the Golan to Israel, calling it an occupied Syrian territory.

His Excellency called for joint Arab action to end the suffering of the Palestinian Arab people and secure their right to establish their State on their national soil within the framework of international legitimacy and UN resolutions.

The President reiterated Iraq's position that the problems in the brotherly countries of Syria, Yemen and Libya must be resolved in a way that enhances the security, peace, and freedom of these brotherly countries as well as our countries and helps eradicate the hotbeds of terrorism and extremism.

The following is the full text:

Honorable President of the Republic of Tunisia

Your Majesties, Highnesses, Excellencies

His Excellency the Secretary General of the League of Arab States

Ladies and Gentelmen

Peace, mercy and blessings of God

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our brothers in Tunisia for hosting the summit, for the good organization and hospitality. I also extend my high appreciation and thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for his leadership and presidency of the previous summit, and his following-up to its decisions

It is a pleasure to meet here, at this summit, and in the spring of green Tunisia.

We must consult and converse amid circumstances in which our countries are most in need of frank dialogue among their leaders and strive together to enhance the values of understanding and mutual action within the goals of development in a way that ends tensions in our region for the interest of security, peace and coexistence.

Happiness will be greater for our peoples if we return to them as we agree.

Agree on a roadmap that includes agreements and understandings on a common approach to address our major challenges -If we really succeed in that- It means that we have reached an actual basis for responsible understanding and for a serious understanding of the need to work together to build a conviction that our destiny is common.

It must be recognized that the challenges are serious and multifaceted, but it must be recognized that opportunities for facing challenges and their risks still remain, and it is still possible to act with a high responsibility to overcome crisis, which are common crises that cannot be avoided. None of our countries should think that it is immune to them or the effects of their aftershocks.

Iraq has just emerged from a war against terrorism. We have been sacrificed the precious and dear in the face of terrorism and its defeat. The military triumph against the alleged caliphate is an important development and a great achievement. It was an outstanding Iraqi victory and we appreciate in this context the support of our friends, neighbors and the international coalition that helped us and supported us.

This military victory must be completed with a diligent work and perseverance for a radical and endless address to the phenomenon of terrorism and extremism, as well as eradicating the deviant ideology, rebuilding the liberated cities, and repatriating the internally displaced people to their homes.

In this pursuit comes the importance of joint action and regional and international cooperation to prevent the reemergence of terrorism once again and to uproot the causes of its emergence, and Iraq represents the starting point for such work and such a required system.

With our continued and mutual visits to the countries of the region, I think we are not far from this feeling and from realizing the need to deal seriously with these old and new challenges. At least, this summit is the third in recent months after the Beirut economic summit and Sharm el-Sheikh of the European-Arab. This is a keen expression of preoccupation with the challenges and an attempt to do something serious and productive before it is too late.

We believe that working on Arab economic integration, building a system based on benefiting from industries, developing agricultural sectors, and upgrading Arab advanced labor will be at the forefront of formulas of expressions of recognition of the importance of action to find solutions. We have treasures in human resources, nature and a vital geographical reality. We need to cooperate and agree upon visions to translate this rich resource into a useful and beneficial reality for the peoples of our region.

This desired integration may require a sincere pursuit to build a unified banking system benefiting the private sector, as well as to combat unemployment, especially for youth, and provide employment for them, ensure fair and equitable opportunities and give women their leading role in society.

It is regrettable that the culture of zero sum in the political dealings among the countries of the region has greatly delayed opportunities for joint action among us. The joint and productive work and the consolidation of the culture of profitability for all parties on the basis of common interests is the only thing that can dispel political misunderstandings, and correct the trajectory of politics for the benefit of life and coexistence in peace and contentment.

In this connection, I refer to the fundamental principle of Iraq's international relations, especially its relations with its Muslim neighbors and its Arab depth and extension, which is the principle of joint action with all on the basis of the common interests of the peoples and countries.

Iraq aspires to a promising role to be a point of convergence and not of dispute,

We will not be part of any axis.

But we will be in leading any effort to consolidate peace and development and to think of a future that is advanced and just for all.

This is the essence of an experience that we have paid for it a lot of human, material, and moral losses over the past decades.

This is the essence of an experience that assured us that there is no future for the region and its peoples without thinking of the future responsibly and with respect for our interests and the interests of our neighbors as well as friends and everyone concerned with building, progress, well-being and justice.

This is how Iraq works with everyone. Our last pursuit with our brothers in Egypt and Jordan for work and economic cooperation stems from this foundation.

Dear Brothers, Your Majesties, Excellencies

The cause of Palestine is still standing, and the tragedy of the Palestinian Arab people is at the forefront of the attention of all Arabs and Muslims. We believe that working in various ways within the framework of international legitimacy and relevant United Nations resolutions constitutes a necessity for joint Arab action in order to end this suffering and ensure the right of the Palestinian people to establish their State on their national soil. It is not far from this perception also, to emphasize our explicit and categorical rejection of the decision to annex the Golan, for it is an occupied Syrian territory.

We affirm our position that problems in brotherly countries of Syria, Yemen and Libya must be settled in a way that enhances the security, peace and freedom of these countries as well as our countries in general and help to eliminate the hotbeds of terrorism and extremism.

We also confirm our position that is calling for security, cultural, social, political and intellectual joint Arab action to eradicate terrorism and the means of its emergence and exacerbation.

While appreciating the sincere role of the League of Arab States in preserving the opportunities for cooperation and joint Arab action, we are with every effort to promote the work of the League in the light of these challenges and the great responsibilities entrusted to it.

Finally..

Our sincere thanks and gratitude go for the brothers in Tunisia, as President, Government and people, for the good organization and hospitality, all the wishes go to the brotherly Tunisian people for steady progress, benevolence, and well-being.

Thank you very much to the League of Arab States for the important role in making this summit successful.

We meet with good and peace for the good of our countries and peoples.

Peace, mercy and blessings of God.