Remarks by His Majesty King Abdullah II at the second Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,

Prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad,

Your Highnesses, Excellencies,  

Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you,

I am pleased to welcome you to Jordan, your second home, and express my pride, and that of the people of Jordan in hosting the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership, which reflects the importance we place on our ties with Iraq.

I would also like to extend my sincere appreciation to my dear brother Iraq Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al Sudani and French President Emmanuel Macron for their cooperation and support in holding this important conference in its second round. 

Mr President, my friends,

We are pleased to welcome you here in Jordan today at this important conference, which reflects Iraq's key role in the region and our collective determination to work with the government and people of Iraq for a more prosperous and integrated region. I would also like to thank France and President Macron for the commitment to promoting peace and cooperation in this region and beyond.

Brothers and dear friends, 

Our meeting represents an opportunity to build on the outcomes of the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership held last year, and reaffirm our support for Iraq’s efforts to continue on the path towards development and prosperity, as well as bolster its security, stability, and sovereignty. This conference is also a chance to highlight Iraq’s pivotal role in the region and in bringing us together to bolster regional cooperation.

We meet today as the region faces security and political crises, as well as challenges to food, water and health security, amid the need to safeguard energy resources and supply chains, while dealing with the repercussions of climate change.

Dear brothers and friends,

We in Jordan believe that the region needs stability, just and comprehensive peace, regional cooperation, especially in the economic and development fields, as well as addressing the issues of poverty and unemployment. We believe that facing our shared challenges requires collective action with a positive, tangible impact for our peoples. 

Here, I would like to point out joint projects between Jordan and Iraq, as well as with our other fellow Arabs in energy, industry, trade, and transportation, which have been strengthened by the trilateral cooperation mechanism between Jordan and our brothers and sisters in Egypt and Iraq. 

We recognise the multitude and complexity of the challenges facing us, but we also believe that this conference is being held to serve our mutual interests in ensuring Iraq’s security, prosperity, and stability as a key pillar in our region. We look forward to continuing to work alongside you all to strengthen our partnerships in service of our peoples. 

I welcome you all again to Jordan and look forward to working with you to translate the outcomes of this conference into strong, impactful partnerships.

Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.