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Iraqi Prime Minister Sets 5 Urgent Priorities for the Government

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani (Reuters)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani (Reuters)
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Iraqi Prime Minister Sets 5 Urgent Priorities for the Government

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani (Reuters)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani (Reuters)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani has asserted that despite several challenges, there are many opportunities for the government to succeed.

Speaking at a meeting with the press attended by Asharq Al-Awsat, Sudani noted that "the regional and international community is supportive.”

This has been expressed in a series of supportive positions, which will serve the common interests of Iraq, the region, and global community.

The chances of success are higher now because of the financial support that helps realize achievements according to well-thought-out plans and political and security stability, said Sudani.

He referred to the recent assassination of a US citizen and asserted that he is following up on the probe. He noted that investigators have new leads that could help identify the perpetrators.

Sudani noted that the government's credibility lies in bringing them to justice.

"Our foreign policy will be based on the principle of common interests," said the PM, adding that it is crucial to unifying internal political discourse to have a unified state.

He stressed that recovering the stolen funds will determine the nature of foreign relations with other countries.

Sudani mentioned the five priorities for the government, such as addressing poverty, revealing that he will make urgent decisions to support the poor. Another focus includes finalizing the decisions issued since 2019 to help provide job opportunities.

The PM vowed that services are the third priority of the government, some of which involve completing unfinished projects, which need about $30 billion. He also noted that funds are allocated to the governorates within the Food Security Law.

Sudani named economic reforms and the fight against corruption as the fourth and fifth priorities.

Regarding economic reforms, Sudani said that one of the requirements is the establishment of the Iraq Fund for Development and encouraging the private sector to implement projects, including the construction of 8,000 schools.

He also stressed that fighting corruption requires a strong will, honesty, and continuity.

A large coalition of about 280 lawmakers supports the government, said the PM, adding that the cabinet has an excellent chance to succeed.

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Mikati Instructs Lebanon’s Institutions to Cooperate with HTS

 Activists carry Lebanese and Syrian flags, along with pictures of journalist Samir Kassir, who was assassinated by the former Syrian regime, during a demonstration in Beirut (EPA).
 Activists carry Lebanese and Syrian flags, along with pictures of journalist Samir Kassir, who was assassinated by the former Syrian regime, during a demonstration in Beirut (EPA).
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Mikati Instructs Lebanon’s Institutions to Cooperate with HTS

 Activists carry Lebanese and Syrian flags, along with pictures of journalist Samir Kassir, who was assassinated by the former Syrian regime, during a demonstration in Beirut (EPA).
 Activists carry Lebanese and Syrian flags, along with pictures of journalist Samir Kassir, who was assassinated by the former Syrian regime, during a demonstration in Beirut (EPA).

Communication channels have been opened between the Lebanese state and the Syrian Interim Government. Diplomats conveyed a message from HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa to Lebanese officials, stating that the new Syrian government has no issues with the Lebanese state.
HTS said that its problem lingers with Hezbollah, which supported the Assad regime in its attacks on the Syrian people, occupied Syrian territories, and displaced its residents.
A source close to caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati indicated that the prime minister received the Syrian message “very positively” and began working toward establishing stable relations with Syria. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, the source disclosed that Mikati had instructed all official institutions to collaborate with HTS, which now oversees security in Syrian territories, and to coordinate on mutual security matters between the two nations.
The first tangible result of this cooperation was a meeting held on Wednesday between a delegation from HTS and the Lebanese General Security agency at the latter’s office near the Masnaa border crossing in the Bekaa Valley. The talks resulted in agreements on coordination frameworks to ensure security on both sides of the border.
The source explained that Mikati’s primary focus is on organizing and securing the borders. Recently, he received reports from the Lebanese Army indicating that Syrian authorities had closed 80% of the illegal crossings previously used by smugglers. The source described this as a reassuring development.
In a sign of reconciliation, the source close to Mikati noted that Turkish and Qatari envoys delivered a message confirming that the new Syrian government does not intend to revisit the conflicts of the Syrian war or seek revenge against Bashar al-Assad’s allies, including Hezbollah. The message stressed that Syria has no plans to retaliate against Hezbollah for its actions during the war, such as detaining Syrian opposition figures in Lebanon, provided that Hezbollah withdraws from Syria and ceases all military and security activities there.
Further reflecting this shift, a security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that HTS had previously facilitated the safe transfer of dozens of Hezbollah fighters and their families from Syria to Lebanon without harming or targeting them.
Despite these developments, there has yet to be any official communication between the Lebanese government and Ahmed Al-Sharaa, the transitional leader of Syria, even though two weeks have passed since the fall of the Assad regime.
Former Lebanese minister Rashid Derbas commented that Mikati had recently made an exploratory visit to Ankara to understand how the situation in Syria is unfolding. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Derbas stated that the armed factions now responsible for security in Syria face a major test of their ability to maintain stability until a new political authority is established through free and fair elections reflecting the will of the Syrian people. He noted that the Syrian Army no longer has a presence on the ground.
Derbas added that while Syrian statements about relations with Lebanon have been positive, Lebanon must remain cautious and alert to the possibility of chaos erupting in Syria and spilling over into its borders.