The President’s Speeches
“In the name of Allah, the Most Benevolent, the Most Merciful”
My brother, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Your Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein,
Your Majesties, Excellence’s and Highnesses, Kings, Presidents and Princes of brotherly countries,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to be with you today, in The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and to extend, on this occasion, my sincere gratitude and appreciation to His Majesty King Abdullah II for his initiative to host this summit at the Dead Sea, his generous hospitality and warm reception, and his efforts, along with His Excellency President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, to maintain the periodicity of this summit.
Your Majesties, Excellence’s and Highnesses,
This honorable assembly gathers for the second time, after the first summit, hosted by “Baghdad” in August 2021.That was when we pledged together to support the national efforts of our brothers in Iraq, government and people, in order to achieve security and stability for their country, preserve its sovereignty, and restore its historical status and its active Arab and regional role.
Today’s meeting takes place as we are witnessing a tangible improvement in the situation in Iraq. I would like to seize this opportunity to extend my sincere congratulations to Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and the dear Iraqi people, on completing the stages of the constitutional entitlement, opening the way for moving towards the future.
Gentlemen,
Convening our summit today bears an important political testimony to our determination to continue to provide all means of support to Iraq, and a sincere desire to usher-in a new phase of partnership by strengthening action at the bilateral level and within the frameworks of multilateral cooperation, such as the tripartite cooperation mechanism between Egypt, Iraq and Jordan as well as others.
Our meeting also represents an opportunity to exchange views and explore new horizons for coordination and cooperation between our countries and Iraq. This shall support its path toward stability, thus enhancing our abilities to face the challenges associated with international crises, that result in cross-border challenges in the fields of health, food security, energy, supply chains and others, in a way that achieves the interests of our peoples.
For many years, Iraq has faced extremely negative repercussions as a result of the spread of terrorism and extremist ideology and the scourge of long-term conflicts and wars. This has occurred in a context that was not devoid of external interference, placing a burden on Iraqis and affecting all the peoples of the region.
In this regard, Egypt highly appreciates the valiant and precious efforts and sacrifices incurred by the brotherly Iraqi people from all walks of life to face these challenges. It also appreciates the important achievements of the Iraqi state that helped restore the role of state institutions, eliminate dark terrorist attempts, achieve security, stability and state sovereignty, and preserve the unity of its national fabric.
I cannot fail to commend the efforts of the Iraqi state in terms of launching reconstruction projects, paving the way for the achievement of comprehensive development through the optimal use of the country’s potential, capabilities and resources.
Allow me, from this podium, to reaffirm Egypt’s full support for these tireless efforts, which tangibly contribute to consolidating the concept of a safe and stable homeland. Iraq’s success is our success.
The successive crises witnessed by many countries in the region over the past decades have proven that achieving complete stability has indispensable requirements. They include, first and foremost, strengthening the role of the inclusive national state, and empowering its institutions to carry out their tasks in terms of maintaining security, upholding the rule of law, confronting external forces, and preserving the peoples’ capabilities and wealth. This, in turn, would provide the proper climate to drive the economy and sustainable development forward and consolidate the foundations of good governance.
Let me say this openly, these goals will not be achieved unless a culture of moderation, tolerance and acceptance of the other is upheld. This shall ensure enjoying the right to freedom of religion and belief and transcending the concepts of sectarianism, fanaticism, division, and backward thinking that have no place in our current era. The world encompasses everybody, and differences cannot be dealt with by continuing protracted conflicts, where there is neither a winner nor a loser.
In this context, the convening of our summit today comes to renew the commitment to the firm principles of international relations, enshrined in the spirit and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations. Those include primarily good-neighborliness, non-interference in internal affairs, non-aggression, mutual respect for the sovereignty of states, the cessation of the imposition of a fait accompli policy and the importance of working toward achieving mutual benefit.
Based on the aforementioned, Egypt affirms its rejection of any external interventions in Iraq’s affairs and reiterates the importance of continuing joint efforts to enhance the capacity of the Iraqi State’s institutions in various fields, given the fact that this is the perfect way to maintain the security and sovereignty of this ancient country. This will reflect on the security of other countries in the region.
Emanating from Egypt’s belief in the benefits of constructive, mutual cooperation, we have partnered with Iraq and Jordan in launching the tripartite mechanism of cooperation between the three states, as one of the joint Arab action’s frameworks for integration. This took place in a way that shall serve the interests of our brotherly peoples, in light of the historical and fraternal bonds they share as well as their common fate and shared goals.
I would like to reaffirm our resolve to proceed with the implementation of our joint projects, which are currently under consideration within the context of the mechanism. This will consequently contribute to realizing the progress our peoples aspire for, and allow them to mutually benefit from each other’s capabilities.
Finally, I would like to say a word to the Iraqi people: “The great people of Mesopotamia, I have full confidence in your ability to move forward towards a more prosperous future that befits your ancient civilization, which has contributed to shaping the history of humanity. I am fully confident that pluralism, that characterizes you, as well as the capabilities you possess will allow you to surmount any challenges you may encounter, no matter how grave they are. You have accomplished much on the path toward restoring your country and you have to complete your achievements through construction, development and growth. You will always find Egypt in support of your efforts and your aspirations and choices, for Iraq to always remain one of the fortresses of the Arab nation and one of the major centers of civilization in the Arab and Islamic worlds”.
Thank you
May Allah’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you
Presidency .eg
Source: State Information Service Egypt