Iraqi parliamentary delegation commends Kingdom’s support

AMMAN — Lower House Speaker Abdulkarim Dughmi on Monday stressed Jordan's support to Iraq.

During a meeting with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al Halboosi, in the presence of a parliamentarian delegation that represents all Iraqi political powers, Dughmi said that the region today needs “self-solutions” for its problems, mainly to address issues of economic and environmental concern, terrorism and extremism, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Dughmi said that the visit is part of a new vision for the region in light of the regional and international developments, mainly to face the repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian war and its impacts on food security, energy and prices, in addition to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the economic level, he referred to the economic integration between the countries through the implementation of the joint economic zone, the Basra-Aqab oil pipeline, and land transport through the unified ticket, electric connection and constructions projects.

As for the outcomes of the Jordanian-Iraqi-Egyptian cooperation, Dughmi stressed the Kingdom's commitment to enhancing this trilateral cooperation, calling for coordinating future steps regarding cooperation projects, especially in light of the economic challenges that have made systematic cooperation a necessity.

Halboosi prasied Jordan's positions towards Iraq, which have been further enhanced by His Majesty King Abdullah's efforts and endeavours during his regional and international meetings.

He also renewed his country's keenness, with the participation of all components of the Iraqi people, to enhance cooperation between the countries in various fields, mainly at the parliamentary level.

The delegates stressed that Iraq considers Jordan the “closest to Iraq”, praising the Kingdom's role in supporting Iraq over the past years through receiving refugees, supporting counter-terrorism efforts, and enhancing Iraq's security, stability and the unity of its territories. 

Following the meeting, Dughmi and Halboosi held a press conference on enhancing Jordanian-Iraqi ties and the role of the two countries' parliaments in further enhancing cooperation.

Dughmi told the joint press conference that they held “successful and fruitful” discussions, in which they agreed on the importance of expediting the implementation of joint cooperation projects between Egypt, Iraq and Jordan towards achieving strategic integration among the three countries.

He said that Jordan and Iraq see “eye-to-eye” on the Palestinian cause, joint action and parliamentary coordination at regional and international forums.

Halboosi stressed the importance of solving regional problems without foreign intervention and removing obstacles to bilateral and trilateral cooperation with Egypt to serve the joint interests of “our peoples”.

He called for proceeding with the implementation of the signed agreements in the commercial and industrial fields, electrical interconnection, the construction of an oil pipeline from the Iraqi port of Basra to the Jordanian port of Aqaba, as well as joint coordination to face the global food crisis.

Commenting on the resignation of 73 deputies of cleric Moqtada Al Sadr's bloc from the Iraqi parliament and the prospects of forming the next government, Halboosi said that Iraqi political forces will work in the next stage under the new understandings, assuring that the current political stalemate is “heading to an end”.

The Iraqi speaker reaffirmed his keenness to strengthen relations with Jordan in various fields, commending the Kingdom's support of Iraqi counter-terrorism efforts.