Baghdad: Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani emphasized Iraq's openness to productive partnerships in his speech at the fifth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit held in Baghdad.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, al-Sudani highlighted the importance of collective commitment to sustainable development and the enhancement of regional integration.
Al-Sudani thanked the Lebanese Republic for its role in the previous summit and praised the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States for its efforts. He described the summit as a strategic platform for consolidating Arab partnerships, activating development funds, and creating opportunities for women, youth, and childcare.
Al-Sudani urged the resumption of development summits, which had stalled since the Beirut Summit in 2019, and proposed a joint Arab mechanism to assess development performance. He stressed the significance of investing in the knowledge economy, which supports entrepreneurship and innovation.
He detailed the Iraqi government's recent economic and financial reforms, including projects aimed at infrastructure development. Al-Sudani highlighted the focus on education, healthcare, digital transformation, and the empowerment of the private sector, alongside plans to develop the tourism industry as part of Iraq's national development plan for 2024-2028.
Al-Sudani announced the "Arab Economic Reform Era for the Next Decade" initiative, aimed at creating a shared investment environment, liberalizing trade, and establishing free trade zones. He emphasized the strategic "Development Road" project, connecting the Grand Faw Port to Turkey and Europe, as a crucial element of this vision.
The Prime Minister noted that Arab and foreign investments in Iraq have reached approximately $89 billion and extended an open invitation for further contributions to the development road project. He unveiled initiatives to address food security, environmental challenges, and housing security, alongside proposals for Arab cooperation in disaster response and financial action.
Al-Sudani also announced the establishment of centers focused on environmental protection, artificial intelligence, and cultural communication. He proposed initiatives for regional security coordination and combating terrorism, drugs, and organized crime, with headquarters in Baghdad.
Further, he suggested forming the Council of Arab Trade Ministers to coordinate Arab trade efforts. Al-Sudani also introduced the Arab Solidarity Fund for the Reconstruction of Gaza and Lebanon, supervised by the Arab League, with Iraq as a leading contributor.
Al-Sudani expressed hope that the summit would mark a turning point in Arab development, translating its decisions into concrete actions for the benefit of future generations.