On Tuesday 20 December, during the 2nd Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership, held in Amman, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell called for enhanced EU support for Iraq.
“We are ready to do more, differently and better in support of Iraq and the region”, he said in a speech, adding that Iraq had once again become “an important, active and credible country, a driving force for peace and stability in the region”. Mr Borrell announced that an EU-Iraq council at ministerial level should be held in the first half of 2023.
The High Representative said that the EU was ready to support the Iraqi Prime Minister’s commitment to comprehensive reforms and the government’s continued efforts to develop a balanced foreign policy. He warned that Iraq could not be a proxy battleground, but should be a “regional bridge builder helping to reduce regional tensions”. Stressing the importance of security in the country, the High Representative highlighted that the mandate of the EU mission had been extended until April 2024.
Mr Borrell also reiterated the EU’s support for the Iraqi government to continue its efforts for the safe, voluntary and dignified return and reintegration of its citizens stranded in the Syrian camp of Al Hol.
More broadly, the High Representative mentioned that the wider Gulf region and the Middle East are priorities for the EU and that the EU is ready to engage with all actors in the region in a “gradual and inclusive” approach.
“We need to work closely with this region on concrete global action regarding the climate and environment, as it will have an important role to play in the green transition in the run-up to COP28”, he explained, also highlighting energy and food issues as the region faces food shortages due to the war in Ukraine. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)