European Council on Foreign Relations: Supporting Iraqi mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran is i

[size=52]European Council on Foreign Relations: Supporting Iraqi mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran is important[/size]

[size=45]Translated by Hamid Ahmed[/size]
[size=45]A report issued by the European Council on Foreign Relations on the role Iraq is playing in mediation between Iran and Saudi Arabia states that Europe should support these talks taking place in Baghdad as an opportunity to help achieve stability in the Middle East region.[/size]
[size=45]The report stated that the circulation of leaks about the existence of direct talks in Baghdad between senior Saudi and Iranian officials in April were a benefit and support for the Prime Minister of Iraq, Mustafa Al-Kazemi. Although the talks could be considered a personal victory for Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi, they were facilitated through joint regional and international influences, and may easily derail the line through developments outside the control of Iraq. Despite this, Iraq's young steps towards playing the role of a regional mediator are positive steps for it and for the region. Europe should pursue opportunities to strengthen Iraq’s mediating role in order to help stabilize Iraq and the Middle East more broadly.[/size]
[size=45]Iraqi President Barham Salih confirmed that Baghdad has hosted several Saudi-Iranian rounds of dialogue, and these dialogues follow Al-Kazemi's efforts to develop cooperation and ultimately a regional alliance between Iraq, Egypt and Jordan. The change in the political calculations of Iran and Saudi Arabia after the advent of US President Joe Biden to the helm of government in the United States helped create incentives for each of the two parties to enter into a dialogue between them, but Iraq has no control over these changes. And that any deterioration in the regional or international political environment may quickly thwart the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement that Iraq is sponsoring. Al-Kazemi became Prime Minister of Iraq in May 2020 after widespread protests across the country that ended with the resignation of the previous government. Al-Kazemi's ability to present Iraq as a neutral mediator is something that is widely appreciated after years of Gulf accusations that the country was merely a proxy for Iran.[/size]
[size=45]Several Iraqi government sources and officials described the talks as a personal initiative by Al-Kazemi, while a source stated that it was possible that Al-Kazemi was in the meeting room that took place on April 9 between the Saudi and Iranian parties, which shows the extent of his personal efforts he devoted to this endeavor.[/size]
[size=45]These discussions were also the result of tireless efforts made by Al-Kazemi and President Barham Salih to place Iraq in its place as an independent and neutral state in the region. Gaining the confidence of Iran and Saudi Arabia to facilitate these talks is a great victory in itself. Although Al-Kazemi's internal reputation was further strengthened through these discussions, it is unlikely to reinforce his expectations for winning a second term as prime minister in the October elections. Al-Kazemi froze the work of the current stage supported by him and canceled its participation in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Al-Kazemi hopes that by presenting himself as an independent and central figure, he will be able to maintain his position. He is betting that the winning political parties will struggle with each other to determine another compromise candidate for the post of prime minister. It is possible that Iran will have a role in negotiations to form a new Iraqi government, but a senior government source said that Al-Kazemi's mediation in the dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Iran is unlikely to be an influential factor in the negotiations to appoint an Iraqi prime minister. The Saudi-Iranian talks are in harmony with the aspirations of the European Union for Iraq to play a role in easing tensions in the region. The European Union and its member states should publicly welcome the talks and use their relations with Iraq to encourage further rounds of dialogue. As they do so, they must be realistic about the extent to which the dialogue continues to stall on the fragile political situation of Iraq and the delicate regional conflict variables.[/size]
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