Iraqi PM: Iraq Will Not Be Ground for Settling Accounts

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi receives US Ambassador Matthew H. Tueller, Iraqi government agencies
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi receives US Ambassador Matthew H. Tueller, Iraqi government agencies
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Iraqi PM: Iraq Will Not Be Ground for Settling Accounts

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi receives US Ambassador Matthew H. Tueller, Iraqi government agencies
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi receives US Ambassador Matthew H. Tueller, Iraqi government agencies

Iraq’s newly appointed prime minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi met with US Ambassador Matthew H. Tueller and Iranian Ambassador Iraj Masjedi.

Kadhimi discussed bilateral relations, including cooperation and coordination, with Tueller.

He also ruled out Iraq as the ground for "settling accounts" by the US and its rival Iran.

During his meeting with Tueller, Kadhimi underscored the need for bilateral cooperation in the economic and security fields, as well as for preparing for the strategic dialogue between the two countries, the prime minister's media office said in a statement.

Kadhimi’s meeting with Tuller comes at a time Baghdad and Washington are preparing for a strategic dialogue, slotted for mid-June, about the future of US presence in Iraq. Iraqi parties close to Iran have been demanding the US withdraws its forces from Iraq.

Kadhimi also asserted the need to maintain security and stability in the region, while reiterating that Iraq will not be a ground for settling accounts and launching attacks on any neighboring or friendly country, the statement said.

Tueller congratulated Kadhimi for taking office after gaining the confidence of the Iraqi parliament, confirming the US readiness to support Iraq in all aspects, particularly in the economic field and in containing the COVID-19 spread, the statement added.

During his meeting with Masjedi, Kadhimi confirmed Iraq's keenness to maintain the best relations with all neighboring countries to serve regional security and stability, Kadhimi's media office said in a separate statement.

“Kadhimi stressed that Iraq will not be a passage or hotbed for terrorism against any country or a ground for settling accounts,” the statement said.

Kadhimi's comments came amid the rising tensions between Iran and the U.S. on the Iraqi soil, since the US assassination of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraq's paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces, in a drone attack near Iraqi capital Baghdad in January.

The Iranian-backed militias have frequently attacked Iraqi military bases housing US troops across Iraq as well as the US embassy inside the heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad.



UN’s Tetteh Urges Libyan, Int’l Support for Advisory Committee

The head of the United Nations mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh and Egypt's Ambassador to Libya, Tamer El-Hefny (UN)
The head of the United Nations mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh and Egypt's Ambassador to Libya, Tamer El-Hefny (UN)
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UN’s Tetteh Urges Libyan, Int’l Support for Advisory Committee

The head of the United Nations mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh and Egypt's Ambassador to Libya, Tamer El-Hefny (UN)
The head of the United Nations mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh and Egypt's Ambassador to Libya, Tamer El-Hefny (UN)

The head of the United Nations mission in Libya, Hanna Tetteh, said the mission’s Advisory Committee needs support from Libyan parties and international partners to help create the right conditions for elections.

The UN mission said in a statement on Wednesday that Tetteh made the remarks during a meeting in Tripoli with Egypt's Ambassador to Libya, Tamer El-Hefny. The two discussed the committee’s ongoing work as well as Libya’s political and economic situation.

Tetteh reaffirmed the mission’s support for a Libyan-led reconciliation process facilitated by the African Union, emphasizing its victim-centered and human rights-based approach.

During a video meeting with Wahida Ayari, the Head of the AU Liaison Office in Libya (AULOL), Tetteh also discussed the protection of migrants and refugees in the country, the UN mission said.

Tetteh briefed Ayari on the work of the Advisory Committee and broader political process, while Ayari reiterated the African Union’s support for the UN mission’s mandate and efforts in Libya, according to the statement.

In a separate discussion, Tetteh and Greek Ambassador to Egypt Nikolaos Garilidis stressed the importance of maintaining Libya’s stability and ensuring effective management of its economic resources.

They also reviewed the political process, including the Advisory Committee’s ongoing work and economic track, along with other shared concerns. The statement quoted Garilidis as reaffirming Greece’s commitment, alongside the UN mission, to advancing Libya’s political process.

Tetteh is set to brief the UN Security Council this month on political, security, and humanitarian developments, as well as the latest updates from the UN mission.

According to the Security Council Report, a platform that tracks and analyzes the Council’s work, Tetteh’s briefing on efforts to revive political dialogue will likely be followed by a statement supporting UN mediation efforts or a closed-door meeting to discuss ways to break Libya’s political deadlock.