Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani informed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that his government was preparing for the third edition of the Baghdad Conference.
Guterres arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday evening, on his first visit to the country in six years.
Following a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein, he separately met with Sudani, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Al-Halbousi. He is expected to visit Erbil on Thursday to meet with Kurdish leaders.
According to a statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister, Sudani and Guterres discussed bilateral relations, prospects for cooperation in the files of the displaced and the required international role, and the means to confront climate challenges.
The two officials also reviewed Iraq’s efforts to consolidate human rights and promote sustainable development, and its pioneering role in reducing tensions in the region and ensuring stability. Sudani took the opportunity to thank the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) for its efforts to help Iraq in various stages.
For his part, Guterres emphasized the support of the international community for Iraq in the file of climate challenges and the displaced.
He also expressed the UN readiness to “support the government of Iraq in the face of the challenges,” expressing optimism about “the efforts made by the Iraqi government in all fields,” according to the statement issued by Sudani’s office.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi president stressed that his country was willing to support the UN organization to return the displaced to their areas of residence and to rebuild the city of Sinjar. He pointed out that Iraq sought to “obtain a fair share of water as a result of its great vulnerability to climate change,” a statement by the presidential office read.
Guterres, for his part, noted that conditions in Iraq “have changed for the better.”
The statement added that the two officials discussed ongoing efforts to consolidate security and stability in the country, the work mechanisms of the United Nations Mission in Iraq, as well as the role of friendly organizations and countries in supporting the displaced.
The office of the Speaker of Parliament said that Al-Halbousi called for addressing the file of the displaced in Iraq who live in difficult conditions, emphasizing the need for more cooperation with the United Nations to facilitate their return to their areas of residence.
