Iraqi President Calls for Int’l Action to Face Regional Challenges

Iraqi President Barham Salih meets with Spanish Ambassador to Iraq Juan Jose Escobar in Baghdad on Wednesday (INA)
Iraqi President Barham Salih meets with Spanish Ambassador to Iraq Juan Jose Escobar in Baghdad on Wednesday (INA)
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Iraqi President Calls for Int’l Action to Face Regional Challenges

Iraqi President Barham Salih meets with Spanish Ambassador to Iraq Juan Jose Escobar in Baghdad on Wednesday (INA)
Iraqi President Barham Salih meets with Spanish Ambassador to Iraq Juan Jose Escobar in Baghdad on Wednesday (INA)

Iraqi President Barham Salih called on Wednesday for joint international action to confront challenges and ease tensions in the region.

During a meeting in Baghdad with the Spanish Ambassador to Iraq, Juan Jose Escobar, on the occasion of the end of his mission, the President stressed the need for international cooperation in facing the common challenges of combating terrorism, in addition to the importance of solidarity, supporting the stability of the region and easing the tensions surrounding it.

A presidential statement said Salih also appreciated Spain’s supportive stances for Iraq in combating terrorism within the international coalition as well as supporting stability.

The Iraqi President’s invitation for joint international actions on regional challenges came as Baghdad prepares to host the first conference of regional neighbors at the end of August, with the aim of discussing the political and security challenges facing the region.

The conference is scheduled to be held at the summit level during the last ten days of August and would not be limited to Arab or Islamic countries neighboring Iraq but would extend to other states in the regional neighborhood.

Meanwhile, head of the National Power of the State Coalition Ammar Al-Hakim stressed the importance of developing relations between the US and Iraq to serve the interests of both countries.

Hakim held talks Wednesday with US Ambassador Matthew Tueller on the political developments in Iraq and the region, as well as the outcomes of the strategic dialogue between Iraq and US.

“The importance of these relations is to serve the interests of two countries, and the need to proceed with the adoption of dialogue as a way to resolve differences and spare the region the repercussions of tensions and conflicts between its countries," said Hakim.

Also on Wednesday, the European Union Delegation to Iraq warned against fraud in the coming parliamentary elections, expected to be held in Iraq next October.

Martin Huth, the European Union ambassador to Iraq, said there are concerns about the security and human rights environment in which the elections will take place.



Egypt Says Israel-EU Agreement Has Not Increased Aid to Gaza

Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister Badr Abdelatty arrives for a meeting of Palestinian and Israeli foreign ministers on the sidelines of the EU-Southern Neighborhood Ministerial Meeting at the EU Council in Brussels, Belgium, 14 July 2025. (EPA)
Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister Badr Abdelatty arrives for a meeting of Palestinian and Israeli foreign ministers on the sidelines of the EU-Southern Neighborhood Ministerial Meeting at the EU Council in Brussels, Belgium, 14 July 2025. (EPA)
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Egypt Says Israel-EU Agreement Has Not Increased Aid to Gaza

Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister Badr Abdelatty arrives for a meeting of Palestinian and Israeli foreign ministers on the sidelines of the EU-Southern Neighborhood Ministerial Meeting at the EU Council in Brussels, Belgium, 14 July 2025. (EPA)
Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister Badr Abdelatty arrives for a meeting of Palestinian and Israeli foreign ministers on the sidelines of the EU-Southern Neighborhood Ministerial Meeting at the EU Council in Brussels, Belgium, 14 July 2025. (EPA)

Egypt's foreign minister said on Monday that the flow of aid into Gaza has not increased despite an agreement last week between Israel and the European Union that should have had that result.

"Nothing has changed (on the ground)," Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told reporters ahead of the EU-Middle East meeting in Brussels on Monday.

The EU's top diplomat said on Thursday that the bloc and Israel agreed to improve Gaza's humanitarian situation, including increasing the number of aid trucks and opening crossing points and aid routes.

Asked what steps Israel has taken, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar referred to an understanding with the EU but did not provide details on implementation.

Asked if there were improvements after the agreement, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told reporters that the situation in Gaza remains "catastrophic".

"There is a real catastrophe happening in Gaza resulting from the continuation of the Israeli siege," he said.

Safadi said Israel allowed the entry of 40 to 50 trucks days ago from Jordan but that was "far from being sufficient" for the besieged enclave.

EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ahead of Monday's meeting that there have been some signs of progress on Gaza aid but not enough improvement on the ground.

Israel's continued military operations and blockade have left the entire population of 2.3 million people in Gaza facing acute food insecurity, with nearly half a million at risk of famine by the end of September, a joint United Nations report said last month.