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Hossam Zaki: Arab Summit Sends Clear Message on Foreign Meddling

Arab League foreign ministers meet in Cairo, Egypt December 9, 2017. (Reuters)
Arab League foreign ministers meet in Cairo, Egypt December 9, 2017. (Reuters)
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Hossam Zaki: Arab Summit Sends Clear Message on Foreign Meddling

Arab League foreign ministers meet in Cairo, Egypt December 9, 2017. (Reuters)
Arab League foreign ministers meet in Cairo, Egypt December 9, 2017. (Reuters)

Assistant Secretary General of the Arab League Hossam Zaki stressed that the organization’s upcoming emergency summit in Makkah sends a clear message on foreign meddling in the region.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that protecting national Arab security against violations and threats requires more coordination, consultations and cooperation among Arab countries.

He predicted that the summit, scheduled for Thursday, would make a strong political stance that supports the countries whose security and stability are being threatened by any foreign non-Arab parties, especially Iran.

Commenting in Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif’s proposal to Gulf states to sign a non-aggression pact with them, Zaki said that the problem with Iran is that its statements differ from its actions.

It may make positive remarks, but they are not followed up with actions, he added.

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Al-Sudani: We Succeeded in Steering Iraq away from War, Fire Belt

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani
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Al-Sudani: We Succeeded in Steering Iraq away from War, Fire Belt

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani firmly addressed on Sunday recent reports about a possible change in Iraq’s political system or an Israeli strike against armed factions in the country.
At a ceremony held in Baghdad to mark the fifth anniversary of the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and his Iraqi comrade, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the PM affirmed Iraq’s full readiness to respond and deter any attack, regardless of its source.
During the ceremony, attended by Asharq Al-Awsat, al-Sudani said the government was able to spare Iraq from being part of the conflict zone that was intended to expand beyond the borders of Gaza and Lebanon.
On Saturday, the PM had dismissed calls for changing the political system in the country in wake of the radical changes in Syria with the ouster of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Speaking at a ceremony commemorating the death of former head of the Supreme Iraqi Council Mohammed Baqer al-Hakim in 2003, Sudani stressed that Iraq had sought to distance itself from the developments in Syria.
“Some parties are using the situation in Syria to attempt to change the system of rule in Iraq. This issue is not up for debate,” he declared, while acknowledging that the region had witnessed in over a year major developments that have resulted in significant political changes.
At the ceremony on Sunday, parliament Speaker Dr. Mahmoud al-Mashhadani called on important countries in the region such as Türkiye, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Jordan, to take a stand regarding the Israeli military advances in Syria following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Meanwhile, al-Sudani is scheduled to pay an official visit to Iran on Wednesday, his office said in a statement.
“The official visit will include discussions on bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen them, building on the progress made during the visit of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Baghdad in September of last year, as well as addressing the latest regional developments,” the statement said.
The visit comes amid reports of a possible Israeli strike against Iran-backed armed factions in Iraq.
Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the National Wisdom Movement, revealed last week that a message was delivered to Baghdad confirming that certain Iraqi armed factions would be among Israel’s targets.