عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Sudani from Sulaymaniyah: Iraq Does Not Align itself with One Axis against the Other

In this handout photo released by the Iraqi prime minister's office, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani delivers a speech in Baghdad on March 13, 2023. (Iraqi prime minister's media office/AFP)
In this handout photo released by the Iraqi prime minister's office, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani delivers a speech in Baghdad on March 13, 2023. (Iraqi prime minister's media office/AFP)
TT
20
TT

Sudani from Sulaymaniyah: Iraq Does Not Align itself with One Axis against the Other

In this handout photo released by the Iraqi prime minister's office, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani delivers a speech in Baghdad on March 13, 2023. (Iraqi prime minister's media office/AFP)
In this handout photo released by the Iraqi prime minister's office, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani delivers a speech in Baghdad on March 13, 2023. (Iraqi prime minister's media office/AFP)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani underscored on Wednesday that his country will not be a platform to threaten its neighbors.

Speaking at the seventh International Sulaymaniyah Forum, he stressed that Iraq cannot align itself with one axis against the other, rather, it can be a meeting point for all sides.

“Our constitution obligates us to refrain from meddling in the affairs of others. Likewise, we will not allow the sovereignty of our nation to be violated by our neighbors and others,” he remarked.

“We are seeking deep sustainable economic partnerships with fraternal and friendly nations,” he added.

Effective and fruitful economic cooperation will pave the way for sustainable security, he noted.

Moreover, Sudani dismissed as “unjustified exaggeration” claims about Iran’s meddling in Iraqi affairs. He also described the United States as a “strategic partner” to Iraq.

“Iraq’s strength and stability are a source of strength and stability to the entire world,” continued Sudani.

The forum was sponsored by former President Barham Salih. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered a video message at the event that was attended by Kurdistan Region President Nechervan Barzani, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, and several ambassadors, researchers and academics.

Barzani said Kurdistan “fully” supports the Baghdad government and Sudani.

The PM, he added, has sought to create a “secure political environment” in Iraq.

Most Viewed

 
Arab World

Syrian Returns from Lebanon to Start under UN-backed Plan

FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee walks near tents, at an informal settlement, in Al-Marj, in Bekaa, Lebanon April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee walks near tents, at an informal settlement, in Al-Marj, in Bekaa, Lebanon April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo
TT
20
TT

Syrian Returns from Lebanon to Start under UN-backed Plan

FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee walks near tents, at an informal settlement, in Al-Marj, in Bekaa, Lebanon April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Syrian refugee walks near tents, at an informal settlement, in Al-Marj, in Bekaa, Lebanon April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Emilie Madi/File Photo

Thousands of Syrian refugees are set to return from Lebanon this week under the first, UN-backed plan providing financial incentives, after Syria's new rulers said all citizens were welcome home despite deep war damage and security concerns.

Returning Syrians will be provided with $100 each in Lebanon and $400 per family upon arrival in Syria, Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said. Transport is also covered and fees have been waived by border authorities, she said.

"I think it's a good and important start. We have discussed and are coordinating this with our Syrian counterparts and I think the numbers will increase in the coming weeks," Sayed told Reuters. A Syrian interior ministry spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

More than 6 million Syrians fled as refugees after conflict broke out in Syria in 2011, with most heading to Türkiye, Lebanon and Jordan. Lebanon has the highest concentration of refugees per capita in the world, hosting about 1.5 million Syrians among a population of about 4 million Lebanese.

Some 11,000 have registered to return from Lebanon in the first week, and the government targets between 200,000 and 400,000 returns this year under the plan, Sayed said.

The Lebanese government is focused on informal tented settlements in the country, where some 200,000 refugees live, she added, and may provide Syrian breadwinners who stay in Lebanon with work permits for sectors such as agriculture and construction if their families return to Syria.

UN agencies previously viewed Syria as unsafe for large-scale returns due to uncertainty over security and persecution by the government of Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled in December.

That has changed.

Since taking over, the new Syrian government has said all Syrians are welcome home. A UN survey from earlier this year showed nearly 30% of refugees living in Middle Eastern countries wanted to go back, up from 2% when Assad was in power.

"While the situation in Syria continues to rapidly evolve, (UN refugee agency) UNHCR considers the current context a positive opportunity for larger numbers of Syrian refugees to return home, or to begin considering return in a realistic and durable way," Ivo Freijsen, UNHCR Representative in Lebanon, told Reuters.

As of the end of June 2025, UNHCR estimated that over 628,000 Syrians had crossed back to Syria via neighboring countries since 8 December 2024, including 191,000 via Lebanon.