A conference to ease tensions between rival powers.

France and Iraq inaugurated, on Tuesday, December 20, in Jordan, the so-called Baghdad II conference intended to promote cooperation between powers in the Middle East, in the presence of the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran. , at loggerheads.

Other heads of state and government in Amman include Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and King Abdullah of Jordan, as well as Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Chia al Soudani, and the Kuwaiti Emir, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah.

In a final statement, the participants assured that they would continue "to cooperate with Iraq to support its stability, its sovereignty and the democratic process in this country" which is emerging from a political crisis of more than a year.

They said they supported "Iraq's efforts to enshrine dialogue as a means of resolving regional crises".

This conference was a test for the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohamed Chia al-Soudani, appointed in October after more than a year of political deadlock and considered closer to Iran than his predecessor.

Avoiding an “outside dictated” model

In his speech, the French president called on Iraq to follow a path other than that of a "model dictated from outside", in an allusion to Iran.

"Iraq today is the scene of influences, incursions, destabilizations which are linked to the whole region", added Emmanuel Macron without citing Iran, represented by its head of diplomacy, Hossein Amir- Abdollahian.

He called on Baghdad to follow a path “which is not that of a form of hegemony, of imperialism, of a model that would be dictated from the outside”.

With pro-Iranian parties dominating the Iraqi Parliament and a government resulting from this majority, Iran, where Mohamed Chia al-Soudani went at the end of November, is consolidating its hold on its neighbor.

Tehran also militarily supports the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, supports the Houthi rebels in Yemen and enjoys influence in Lebanon, without a president for nearly two months, through the powerful Shiite Hezbollah.  

Stay "away from the political axes" 

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi underlined "Egypt's refusal of all external interventions in Iraq".

In his speech, the Iraqi Prime Minister pledged to have “balanced relations with all regional and international partners” and to stay “away from the political axes”.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhane, whose country is Iran's great regional rival, assured that his country stood "alongside Iraq to preserve its stability and sovereignty".

In a speech delivered partly in French, King Abdallah II of Jordan underlined "Iraq's pivotal role" in maintaining regional "stability".

This summit was also the occasion for a meeting between the head of diplomacy of the European Union, Josep Borrell, and his Iranian counterpart.

"I stressed the need to immediately stop military support for Russia and internal repression in Iran," he said in a tweet.

Necessary meeting w Iranian FM @Amirabdolahian in Jordan amidst deteriorating Iran-EU relations


Stressed need to immediately stop military support to Russia and internal repression in Iran


Agreed we must keep communication open and restore #JCPOA on basis of Vienna negotiations

— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) December 20, 2022

The meeting came as Iran nuclear talks stalled and the EU imposed new sanctions on Iran in protest at its crackdown on protests rocking the country and supplying Russia with drones to his war in Ukraine.

Repression and hostages in Iran 

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian "condemned the Western countries' approach of supporting the rioters and imposing illegal sanctions".

The head of French diplomacy Catherine Colonna said she had a brief exchange with her Iranian counterpart, to whom she asked for the "immediate release of the French hostages" held by Iran.

According to the French authorities, seven French people are now detained in Iran, which is accused of using Western nationals as bargaining chips.

For analyst Riad Kahwaji, based in Dubai, it will be necessary to see "what is the disposition of Tehran, which plays a central role in the crises of the region, from Iraq to Syria via Lebanon and Yemen, to compromise". 

Emmanuel Macron, who went on Monday on the French aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle off Egypt for the Christmas party with French troops, is to meet on Wednesday with King Abdallah II, "ally in the fight against terrorism", according to Paris.

With AFP

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