I stand before this international forum, representing, with every feeling of pride and honor, the Republic of Iraq, the cradle of writing and law, and the land of the earliest civilizations, and one of the founding States of the United Nations, to renew my country’s commitment to its Charter and its principles, and to present Iraq’s vision for its future, for its region, and for the world at this delicate stage.
Iraq has dealt with wars and their damage, perhaps more than any other, and with what was imposed upon us in the form of blockade and terrorism, and our people have paid a heavy price in the lives of its sons, its resources, and the opportunities for its development.
Despite those hardships, which over decades turned our country into an arena for wars and conflicts, today we speak with full confidence about our vision for the future.
Iraq aspires to exercise its impact and influence as an effective economic power in the region and as a bridge for dialogue and cooperation among its peoples.
Our vision at this stage proceeds from our national will to restore the prestige of the law, strengthen State institutions, and consolidate citizens’ confidence in them.
And we are moving forward so that the State will be the holder of the decision on peace and war, and so that arms and the instruments of force will remain in the hands of its constitutional institutions.
These are our governing priorities, and the national interest is the compass, until the law becomes the arbiter.
Our executive measures in this field are proceeding in the right direction, because they constitute the foundation for building the State of institutions, protecting sovereignty, consolidating stability, and creating the environment necessary for development and investment.
We are moving, in our relations with our strategic partners, from military cooperation to a new phase of economic and development cooperation, in a manner that serves our common interests.
And with the end of the mission of the international coalition in Iraq, we are determined to build our security and military capabilities, thereby adding to the Iraqis’ victory over الإرهاب a renewed momentum for completing the protection of our land, our people, and our sovereignty.
In order to ensure the sustainability of integration with our international friends, vigilance remains necessary, as does addressing the gaps and calling on all to control the borders continuously, in order to prevent the formation of an environment conducive to extremism.
Our Government is waging the battle against corruption and protecting public funds within the context of institutional reform, and we are proceeding along the path of fundamental and sustainable remedies in order to raise the efficiency of performance and improve services.
As much as we seek to build a strong State and a diversified, modern economy that keeps pace with global digital and technological transformations, we are also working to employ all successful expertise and innovative experiences in the worlds of economics, finance, and business for the renaissance of economic and financial reform in my country, and to provide a safe environment for national and foreign investment.
This vision is based on the great assets Iraq possesses in terms of resources and investment opportunities in energy, industry, agriculture, transport, and technology, in addition to its exceptional geographical location that links the Iraqi economy to the world.
In this context, our vision aims to move Iraq to a stage in which it will be an effective productive partner in the region, through gradually reducing the effects of the rentier economy, strengthening open-market policies, investing in infrastructure, and developing productive and export capacities and services.
From these starting points, we have drawn up the appropriate roadmap toward supporting the private sector and providing the legal, tax, and customs guarantees and facilities necessary for the growth of business and foreign trade, and building effective partnerships with the global market in order to accelerate the wheel of sustainable development.
In the field of global energy, Iraq’s impact stands out directly, as our Government is adopting an ambitious programme to increase crude oil production in proportion to the volume of our proven reserves, to expand refining capacities and the production of derivatives and petrochemical industries, and to develop gas fields.
Our ambition is for Iraq to become a global centre for energy production and to make use of its capabilities to enhance regional and international security and stability in a sustainable manner.
But at the same time, we view with concern the repercussions associated with what it has caused in terms of a crisis in freedom of navigation and maritime shipping, and rising global energy prices.
In order to contain the risks and repercussions for our peoples, we are working to diversify our oil export outlets and to develop energy lines and their corridors linking Iraq, Türkiye, Jordan, and the Syrian Arab Republic to global markets, with the aim of contributing to energy security and diversifying supply routes.
Excellencies, Economic diversification based on genuine partnerships is a strategic central objective in our economic policy.
Therefore, our Government has placed the objective of enhancing economic and industrial development in all fields at the top of its priorities.
From here comes the Development Road project, as Iraq’s vision for comprehensive integration, regional stability, and a strategic corridor for trade, investment, industry, and energy, to be an important gateway linking East and West, starting from the Grand Faw Port to Türkiye and from there to Europe.
We want this project to be available for partnership with all our neighbours and our friends, because we believe that economic interests create prosperity, and when the countries of the region are linked by ports, railways, energy lines, trade, and investments, they will have a greater interest in protecting stability.
From the rostrum of the United Nations, we say to the world: invest with Iraq.
It possesses the resources, the market, the location, and the will to build a new economy.
Our Government is working diligently to formulate partnerships that realize mutual interests, create job opportunities, transfer technology and knowledge, and develop Iraq’s productive capacities.
The security of States and the sustainability of peace are a shared responsibility, based on the Charter of the United Nations, not merely on interests.
And that true stability is not built through wars, but through shared interests that make cooperation more worthwhile than conflict.
Iraq’s vision is based on contributing to moving the region from conflict to integration, from competition to cooperation, and from the depletion of resources to their investment in development, and to consolidating mutual interests.
On this occasion, we extend our hands to all on the basis of respect for sovereignty, non-interference, good-neighbourliness, and adopting dialogue as a means of addressing differences.
Proceeding from these premises, Iraq renews its supportive position for dialogue and diplomacy in order to defuse crises.
and to facilitate the transit of trade across Iraqi territory, and to support efforts by providing major facilities for alternative trade corridors.
Iraq believes that responsibility towards peoples, their security and their stability requires working to end conflicts through negotiation, for the sake of a secure future and to prevent wars from breaking out again.
And there, at United Nations Headquarters, is a copy of the stele of the Babylonian king Hammurabi, in which it is stated: laws were laid down to prevent the strong from oppressing the weak. Yet in today’s world, we find the weak being wronged because it is the law of the strong, not the force of law, that rules. Therefore, the question of Palestine remains present in any discussion of stability in the region.
And there can be no broad peace in the Middle East without a just settlement of this issue, and affirming the right of the Palestinian people in their land to self-determination and the establishment of their sovereign State.
Here, we stress the utmost importance of facilitating the arrival of humanitarian assistance and protecting civilians.
The security that we seek is not confined merely to stopping conflicts, but extends to confronting climate change, its effects of desertification and water scarcity, and the impact on food security.
These are challenges that Iraq faces, and we affirm our adherence to our fair and legitimate water rights, and call for joint management of water resources in accordance with the principles of cooperation, law and international law.
And therefore, we continue to confront organized crime, and, in the context of the risks, to counter its dangers and thwart cross-border drug trafficking through cooperation with all friends, and we call for more exchange of information and international coordination to avert this danger that threatens societies.
Amid all these challenges, the Iraqi human being remains our goal and the ultimate purpose of our efforts.
Relying on the high proportion of youth in our society, we seek to make them a real pillar of the economy of the future, through education, supporting entrepreneurship, diversifying job opportunities, and enhancing the fields of the digital economy, while upholding our constitutional commitment to protecting human rights and freedoms, women’s participation, the care of children, and preserving the national, religious and cultural diversity of our country.
We confidently invite you to further openness towards Iraq, for it is the true partner capable of contributing to the consolidation of security, the enhancement of stability, and the acceleration of development in all fields. From this rostrum, we say: Iraq has never been on the margins; rather, it is the heart of history and the pulse of the present, and it is worthy of partnership towards the future.
In conclusion, we reaffirm in this context our supportive position for the role of the United Nations through the joint work supporting Iraq embodied by the efforts of the UNAMI mission, and we value its efforts and wish it success in its pursuit of productive cooperation with the Organization and its efforts aimed at mitigating the effects of wars and the repercussions of conflict in the world.
May the peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you.