Al-Sisi and Abdullah II hosted in Baghdad.. What stands in the way of Iraq's return to its Arab surroundings?

BAGHDAD - The

diplomatic movement in Iraq is increasing. Between the visits of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi and his foreign minister to a number of Arab countries, Iraq hosted on Sunday an Iraqi-Jordanian-Egyptian tripartite summit after months of preparation.

In a precedent that is the first of its kind in years, and in the midst of the internal security situation and the continued targeting of the bases of the international coalition in the country, the Al-Kazemi government succeeded in hosting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and King Abdullah II of Jordan in the capital, Baghdad, at a summit for which the Iraqi government had long planned and succeeded in hold it.

The visit of Sisi and Abdullah II to Baghdad received a great welcome at a time when Iraq is experiencing political, security and economic crises with the approach of early legislative elections, which are scheduled to be held on the tenth of next October.

Prime Minister @MAKadhimi bids farewell to the King of Jordan, His Majesty @KingAbdullahII, and His Excellency the Egyptian President @AlsisiOfficial .

pic.twitter.com/h94TNLf9vY

— Media Office of the Prime Minister 🇮🇶 (@IraqiPMO) June 27, 2021

The summit of the three leaders lasted more than 6 hours and ended with the farewell of the two Iraqi guests hours after their arrival in Baghdad.

Al-Jazeera Net contacted the Iraqi Foreign Ministry to find out what was agreed upon at the three leaders' summit, but the Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ahmed Al-Sahhaf, referred to the final statement that was published on the official website of the Iraqi Prime Minister.

The final statement came in 29 points, which included the agreement of the three parties to enhance joint cooperation in the industrial and agricultural fields, trade exchange and combating terrorism, as well as continuing to hold periodic meetings to implement what was agreed upon.

Al-Janabi: Al-Kazemi is going the opposite of what it was in the era of the previous prime ministers of Iraq since 2003 (Al-Jazeera)

Arab Pivot

Many observers believe that the Al-Kazemi government, since it took power about a year ago, has been seeking to restore Iraq's relations with its Arab surroundings, as confirmed by Muhannad Al-Janabi, professor of political science at Cihan University, and indicates that Al-Kazemi is going the opposite of what it was in the era of former Iraqi prime ministers since 2003.

Al-Janabi continues that the Al-Kazemi government, despite its short life, has succeeded in achieving many agreements at the level of relations with the Arab world, and has succeeded in overcoming security and economic difficulties and building partnership relations with many Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, in the Joint Coordination Council with Iraq, as well as the tripartite summit.

And whether this summit is diplomatic or is it a gesture to return Iraq to its Arab embrace, Al-Janabi explained - to Al Jazeera Net - that this summit differs from its predecessors, as it focused primarily on the economic dimension, which is a key to the political dimension.

Al-Janabi believes that the three countries have common security and economic interests, especially that Iraq had signed an electrical connection agreement with Egypt and Jordan, in addition to the three leaders' attempt to build relations that seek to bring peace to the region after many years of conflict, as he put it.

The Iraqi political researcher Ghanem Al-Abed agrees with this proposal, who believes that this summit comes within the Iraqi government's attempts to return the country to the Arab embrace, noting that the government uses economic rapprochement in order to achieve full political rapprochement.

Al-Abed believes, in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net, that this summit does not come in the interest of Iraq only, as it is considered a large consumer market, and therefore it is in the interest of both Egypt and Jordan to strengthen their relations with Iraq to facilitate the supply of goods into the Iraqi interior.

Al-Abed believes that the summit is in the interest of developing trade relations between Iraq, Egypt and Jordan (Al-Jazeera)

Difficulties and obstacles

Regarding the possibility of the success of this summit and the realistic translation of its outcomes, Al-Abed does not rule out that other Arab and Islamic countries will be drawn to this axis, especially Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Turkey and even Syria, in order to form a new geopolitical map in the region, as he put it.

Regarding the parties that may stand in the way of this project, Al-Janabi believes that the legislative elections in Iraq are close, and then a new government will be formed, and this may put a number of question marks about the possibility of these understandings continuing, especially if the elections result in an Iraqi government that may not proceed in the same line Which Al-Kazemi is currently pursuing.

As for a member of the Foreign Relations Committee in the Iraqi parliament, Nahida al-Dini, she says, "We had hoped that Iraq would hold a summit with the countries that influence Iraq in security and economy, especially with Turkey and Iran, which closed many of the water tributaries towards Iraq, as well as the security impact of these two countries."

Al-Daini sees the tripartite summit as an attempt to form an Arab pole opposed to the Iranian axis (Al-Jazeera)

Al-Daini added, in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net, that the Foreign Relations Committee in the Iraqi parliament has not yet seen the outcomes of this summit and does not know what agreements were concluded between the three parties.

And whether this summit constitutes the beginning of Iraq's return to its Arab bosom, Al-Daini revealed that this summit has greater goals than what was announced, noting that the great powers exerted pressure on the three countries in order to facilitate the holding of this summit, in an attempt to form an Arab pole opposed to the other pole. In reference to Iraq's positioning in the Iranian axis for years.

Ali Aghwan, professor of international relations at Bayan University, may not depart from the previous views, as he points out that Iraq’s return to its Arab surroundings first needs to arrange the Iraqi internal house politically and security, and that any orientation outside the Iranian and Turkish axis may be met with great opposition, especially that the volume of Iraqi exchange With each of Iran and Turkey, it exceeds $35 billion, which does not serve any rapprochement with Egypt and Jordan.

Agwan: The tripartite summit is trying to establish economic and energy relations (Al-Jazeera)

Hence, Aguan adds - in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net - that these balances are considered difficult, as the tripartite summit is trying to establish economic and energy relations, and therefore Iraq's return to its Arab environment will be very difficult, and it is subject to balances that may seem larger than the regional environment.

Aghwan does not hide his fear that all the agreements may not be more than what he described as (ink on paper), pointing out that the translation of what he signed in the memoranda of understanding needs Iraqi internal work, as well as Al-Kazemi’s need to confront the current against these agreements and protect investments in The country after threats faced attempts by a number of Arab countries to invest in Iraq.