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US Renews Commitment to Support Iraq Stability

Part of the preparations to host the second Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership in Amman, Jordan. (AFP)
Part of the preparations to host the second Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership in Amman, Jordan. (AFP)
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US Renews Commitment to Support Iraq Stability

Part of the preparations to host the second Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership in Amman, Jordan. (AFP)
Part of the preparations to host the second Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership in Amman, Jordan. (AFP)

The United States has renewed its commitment to support Iraq’s stability ahead of the second Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership, which will kick off its activities in Jordan’s capital Amman on Tuesday.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s media office said in a statement on Sunday that the PM received a phone call from White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk.

McGurk congratulated Sudani on taking office and expressed the US continued support for Iraq’s stability, security and sovereignty.

He echoed President Joe Biden’s willingness to bolster strategic bilateral ties.

Sudani, for his part, stressed that Iraq is a unified, independent and a sovereign country, noting that the priority of his government is to maintain balanced relations and create economic partnerships across the region and the world.

According to the statement, both officials agreed on the importance of continuing efforts to ensure the permanent defeat of ISIS and supporting Iraq’s role to build bridges among regional countries.

Sudani said he plans to send a delegation headed by the Foreign Minister to Washington to promote both countries’ common interests in line with the Strategic Framework Agreement.

Discussions will tackle energy investment in Iraq and the fight against the effects of climate change.

US Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski has met with Sudani about six times since he took office in October. The PM has been keen to underscore the importance of building balanced relations with everyone based on common interests.

Last week, the Premier participated in the China-Arab summit, which was hosted by Saudi Arabia and attended by Arab leaders and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The first Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership was held in the Iraqi capital in August 2021.

Media Professor at Iraq University Dr. Fadhel al-Badrani told Asharq Al-Awsat that the second edition of the conference aims to mitigate the external challenges facing Iraq at the security, political and economic levels and ease the food, medicine and energy security challenges.

He underlined the importance of the upcoming event in supporting Iraq's sovereignty from Iranian and Turkish regional threats.

Badrani said both countries have launched attacks against rebel organizations that hide in various areas in Iraq, stressing that the bombing violates Iraq's sovereignty.

He pointed out that the US and France are coordinating with Arab countries that were alarmed by Iraq’s inability to protect itself from external violations and decided to hold this conference, which will be attended by Iran and Türkiye, in an attempt to impose diplomatic resolutions and highlight their violations of Iraq’s sovereignty.

“The US does not want regional countries to control Iraq and is keen to maintain understanding, coordination and cooperation with Sudani’s government.”

Head of the Political Thinking Center Dr. Ihsan al-Shammari told Asharq Al-Awsat that Washington’s continued support for Baghdad reflects its priority for the Biden administration.

He asserted that this support is part of a US plan to prevent Sudani and his government from resorting to Iran like the former PM, Adel Abdul-Mahdi.

He added that the US has a strategic interest in securing energy sources for Europe, and even for its allies in Asia, prompting more communication, in addition to security and terrorism challenges.

“This communication is a clear message to Iran that Iraq's affairs are not left to it to expand its influence, as it did with the previous governments.”

In addition, Shammari said that Sudani and supporters of his government, especially the Coordination Framework forces, are aware that the era of anti-US rhetoric is over.

Therefore, the PM decided to send a delegation to Washington to kick off talks in line with the Strategic Framework Agreement signed by the government of former Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and then-US President Barack Obama and assess the presence of US forces in Iraq.

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Lavrov: Moscow Maintains Communication with Damascus, Will Not Withdraw from the Region

Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
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Lavrov: Moscow Maintains Communication with Damascus, Will Not Withdraw from the Region

Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to the Middle East, stating that Moscow “has not and will not withdraw from the region.” He emphasized ongoing communication with Syria’s new leadership and expressed readiness to support the political process in the country.

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday, Lavrov attributed Syria’s deteriorating situation to the previous regime, blaming its unwillingness to implement reforms and share power with the opposition.

“The refusal of the former Syrian regime to make any changes or share power with the opposition was one of the primary reasons for its collapse,” he said.

Lavrov noted that over the past decade, since President Bashar al-Assad requested Russian intervention in the Syrian war and the launch of the Astana peace process, Damascus had delayed advancing the political path.

“Despite support from Arab nations, Syrian authorities showed reluctance to move forward politically and sought to maintain the status quo,” he explained.

He highlighted Russia’s repeated calls for the Syrian government to engage with the Constitutional Committee, established during the 2018 Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, and to actively work on drafting a new constitution.

Lavrov also pointed to economic challenges exacerbated by sanctions, which have stifled Syria’s economy, and US control over oil-rich eastern regions. Resources were exploited to fuel separatist ambitions in northeastern Syria, he remarked.

Moreover, the FM revealed details of Moscow’s earlier discussions with Kurdish groups, reiterating his country’s position that Kurdish rights should be guaranteed within the constitutional frameworks of Syria, Iraq, Iran and Türkiye.

He argued that the previous Syrian regime’s reluctance to engage in political dialogue resulted in stalled reforms proposed by the United Nations, Moscow and Cairo platforms, and Istanbul-based opposition groups. This inaction, he said, created a vacuum that ultimately led to the collapse.

Furthermore, he dismissed claims that his country’s withdrawal from Syria would signal its departure from the Middle East.

“Russia has not and will not leave the region,” he declared. Without directly addressing the status of Russian military bases in Syria, Lavrov emphasized: “Our embassy never left Damascus, and we maintain ongoing communication with the authorities.”

He also stressed Russia’s willingness to facilitate inclusive dialogue involving all national, political and sectarian factions, as well as relevant international stakeholders. Lavrov underscored that recent discussions with Türkiye, Gulf nations, and other parties demonstrated widespread agreement that Russia and Iran must be involved in the Syrian peace process if sustainable results are to be achieved.

For his part, Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Envoy to the Middle East and Africa, reaffirmed Russia’s focus on developments in Syria, describing relations with Damascus as a “priority of Russian foreign policy.”

Reports on Tuesday suggested that Bogdanov might soon lead a Russian delegation to Damascus. However, a Russian diplomatic source informed Asharq Al-Awsat that no date for the visit has been confirmed. The visit, which was reportedly postponed, would mark the first by a senior Russian official to Damascus since the fall of Assad’s regime in December.

Meanwhile, media reports indicated that Moscow is facing logistical challenges in withdrawing military equipment from Syria, due to restrictions imposed by Syrian authorities on the movement of Russian ships in territorial waters.

According to the English-language edition of RT, the Russian ship Sparta 2, designated to transport military equipment and weapons, was denied entry to the Port of Tartus, where Russia maintains its only overseas naval base.