The economic advisor to the Prime Minister, Mather Mohammed Saleh, confirmed today, Monday, that Iraq's openness to its Arab and regional surroundings represents an opportunity to enhance partnership and development, consolidate stability, and expand its political and economic presence.
Saleh stated in a press interview that "openness to the Arab and regional environment is no longer a secondary option in the calculations of countries, but rather a necessity imposed by political and economic transformations in the region, which require building balanced relationships based on mutual interests, respect for sovereignty, and enhancing cooperation and stability," indicating that "Iraq possesses significant components that qualify it to play a pivotal role in bridging views, linking economic interests, and opening new pathways for dialogue and understanding among the countries in the region."
He added that "Iraq's geographical location, as a link between the Arabian Gulf, the Levant, Turkey, and Iran, along with its historical and civilizational extension in its Arab and regional environment, provides it with a real opportunity to transform into a space for convergence and cooperation, rather than a battlefield of crises and tensions," noting that "Iraq, which has suffered for decades from wars, conflicts, and security challenges, today has a clear national interest in consolidating stability, expanding its foreign relations, and utilizing its economic and geographical potentials for the benefit of development and improving the lives of its citizens."
He explained that "Iraqi-Jordanian relations gain special importance as a model that can be built upon to develop Arab cooperation on practical bases, due to the historical, social, and economic ties between the two countries, as well as mutual interests in trade, energy, transportation, and investment," pointing out that "continuous political communication between Baghdad and Amman provides an opportunity to coordinate positions regarding regional challenges and expand areas of joint work, transforming political rapprochement into development projects that benefit both countries."
He continued that "the importance of this openness does not stop at the limits of bilateral relations but extends to wider potentials for cooperation with Arab and regional countries, especially in the fields of electrical interconnection, developing transportation networks, facilitating trade movement, enhancing food security, and investing in natural and human resources," emphasizing that "Iraq, with its energy resources, large market, and diverse investment opportunities, can be an active economic partner in the region, while cooperation with neighboring countries opens new markets, provides additional channels for export and investment, and contributes to diversifying the economy and reducing dependence on a single source of revenue."
Saleh pointed out that "the transportation and energy sectors are among the most crucial areas that can reflect the true value of this openness, as projects connecting ports, land roads, railway networks, and energy corridors benefit not only the participating countries but can also create mutual interests, provide job opportunities, reduce transportation costs, and enhance Iraq's position as a commercial corridor linking the markets of the region," stressing that "proper planning for these projects transforms Iraq's geographical location from a latent advantage into a productive economic resource."
On the political side, he indicated that "balanced openness gives Iraq a broader space for diplomatic maneuvering, enhancing its ability to build relations based on mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs," explaining that "effective diplomacy does not rely on aligning with conflicting blocs, but on protecting national interests, expanding circles of understanding, and seeking common ground even in the face of differing positions, and the more Iraq succeeds in establishing this approach, the greater its chances of supporting dialogue, reducing tension, and contributing to finding political solutions to crises threatening the security and stability of the region."
He pointed out that "strengthening relations with the Arab environment carries an important economic and social dimension, as it allows for expanding cooperation in education, health, industry, agriculture, and tourism, encourages the exchange of expertise and technology, and opens the door for the private sector to participate in joint projects," adding that "these areas directly affect the lives of citizens, as the success of external relations is not measured only by the number of visits and agreements, but by their ability to provide job opportunities, improve services, attract investments, and create a more stable environment for economic growth."
He emphasized that "achieving these goals requires surpassing mere declarations of intent and general understandings, as successful partnerships need effective institutions, clear implementation plans, agreements protecting the rights of the parties, a stable legal and investment environment, along with continuous follow-up on joint projects," affirming the necessity of "diversifying partnerships and not limiting them to a single sector or country, which gives Iraq greater ability to manage its economic and political interests flexibly and independently."
Saleh affirmed that "Arab and regional openness should be part of a broader national project to enhance Iraq's sovereignty, diversify its economy, consolidate its stability, and develop its institutions, as successful external relations are based on the strength of the internal situation and integrate with development plans, placing Iraqi interests as a top priority, while building shared interests that make stability an option that serves all parties."
He added that "Iraq needs to be a bridge for communication between the countries of the region, a space for exchanging interests and experiences, and a platform for launching economic projects that enhance connectivity among peoples, rather than becoming a party to their conflicts," indicating that "this role cannot be achieved through slogans alone, but through a balanced foreign policy, active diplomacy, and a serious will to transform geographical location and economic potentials into real opportunities for development."
Saleh concluded by stating that "Iraq's openness to its Arab and regional surroundings represents an opportunity to enhance its political and economic presence, expand its strategic options, and contribute to building a more cooperative and stable regional environment, as borders transform into corridors for trade, political meetings yield executable agreements, and bilateral relations evolve into joint developmental projects, bringing Iraq closer to consolidating its position as a crossroads of convergence, peace, and economic partnership," emphasizing that "this equation serves Iraq first and gives the entire region a chance to benefit from cooperation instead of draining resources in conflicts, and building the future instead of remaining hostage to past crises."