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Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

Welcome to the Neno's Place!

Neno's Place Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality


Neno

I can be reached by phone or text 8am-7pm cst 972-768-9772 or, once joining the board I can be reached by a (PM) Private Message.

Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

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    American Institute: Nouri al-Maliki's failure to become prime minister opened the doors of the Gulf

    Rocky
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    American Institute: Nouri al-Maliki's failure to become prime minister opened the doors of the Gulf Empty American Institute: Nouri al-Maliki's failure to become prime minister opened the doors of the Gulf

    Post by Rocky Sat 15 Apr 2023, 5:14 am


    American Institute: Nouri al-Maliki's failure to become prime minister opened the doors of the Gulf states to Iraq




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    2023-04-14 12:12
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    Shafaq News/ The American "Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington" stated that Iraq has become aware that establishing strong relations with its Gulf neighbors is necessary for political stability and economic growth, and that the current Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia' al-Sudani, seems ready to take these relations to a higher level. 
    And after the report, which was translated by Shafaq News Agency, indicated; Until the heads of government who preceded Al-Sudani laid the foundations for strong economic relations with the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, he pointed out that Iraq's relations with its Arab neighbors in the Gulf were fraught with tensions and misunderstandings over the past two decades. 



    The report explained; That things have slowly improved since 2018, and that the Sudanese government has benefited from the progress achieved by the two previous governments, adding that Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan hosted Al-Sudani on February 9, in the first visit of the Iraqi prime minister to a member state of the Council. Gulf Cooperation Council, pointing out that the invitation that Mohammed bin Zayed personally addressed to Al-Sudani shows the importance he attaches to the visit, and Abu Dhabi's interest in expanding relations with Baghdad. 
    In addition, on February 18, Iraq and Saudi Arabia signed their first memorandum of understanding in 40 years, pledging to share intelligence and cooperate on security matters.
    And after the report referred to the "complex relationship" that existed between Iraq and the Gulf Cooperation Council states and that historically Iraq was not accepted as a full member of the Gulf Cooperation Council because of its revolutionary and socialist political system, which was different from the Gulf monarchies linked to strong relations with the United States, The report reviewed stations in the bilateral relations between Iraq and its Gulf neighbors, from the stages of the war with Iran, the invasion of Kuwait, and the crises, although Iraq was seen as a "basic bulwark against Tehran's expansionist agenda." 
    While he referred to the US invasion of 2003, and the Shiites' empowerment of the majority in power, the report said that for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, this was tantamount to the United States handing over Iraq to their Iranian rival, and the Gulf countries have been looking cautiously at Baghdad over the past two decades. 
    After the fall of the regime in Baghdad in 2003, the Gulf states withdrew from Iraq, and began to support Sunni organizations and the Kurdistan Regional Government, as a force balancing the growing Iranian influence, adding that it is believed that the funding provided by the Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia, led to the emergence of Sunni rebel groups that contributed destabilizing Iraq. 
    The report pointed out that this support, in addition to the financial support of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries for Saddam Hussein's regime during the war with Iran, made the Shiites, and their politicians in particular, look suspiciously at the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, adding that in the Kurdistan Region, investment was on the part of the Gulf countries. Different results as it boosted the economy and strengthened diplomatic and trade relations between the Gulf states, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the regional government. 
    After the report referred to the emergence of ISIS in 2014, and its repercussions, including paving the way for Tehran to build its network of armed and political proxies in Iraq and Syria, the American report said that these developments "forced the Saudis to reassess their comprehensive regional strategy to confront Iranian expansion, as The decision-makers in Riyadh concluded that the costs of withdrawing from Iraq were too high. 
    While the report considered that the dismissal of Nuri al-Maliki opened an opportunity for the Gulf people to start a cautious and fragmented interaction process with Iraq, in line with the government of Haider al-Abadi, al-Abadi’s pursuit of a balanced regional policy and the strengthening of relations with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states demonstrated his strength and stability. The Gulf states imposed security support and joined forces. To the US-led coalition against ISIS. 
    Diplomatic relations
    The report stated that this cautious rapprochement laid the foundation for a re-engagement between Saudi Arabia and Iraq. In 2015, Riyadh appointed Thamer al-Sabhan, its first ambassador to Baghdad in 25 years, but his statements about the role of Iran and militias in Iraq caused a temporary decline in the relationship, as Iraq asked for his dismissal. Ambassador, despite what happened, and with the support of the United States, Iraqi-Saudi diplomacy regained its strength once again after the kingdom replaced Al-Sabhan in 2016.
    The report dealt with the high-level Iraqi delegations that visited the Gulf states, in addition to the visits of other party leaders, but indicated that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have not yet responded to their visit to Baghdad. 
    Economic and energy relations with the Emirates
    The report stated that the UAE focused in particular on infrastructure projects in Iraq, and that although most of the Emirati investments were initially in the Kurdistan Region, the developed relations with Baghdad and the improving security conditions encouraged the UAE to gradually boost investments to the rest of Iraq. 
    The report indicated that Baghdad and Abu Dhabi signed multiple agreements to enhance economic cooperation and investment in the year 2021. The UAE also announced that it would invest $3 billion as part of post-conflict reconstruction efforts. 
    The Abu Dhabi Ports Group also signed a contract with the General Company for Iraqi Ports to explore investment possibilities and improve cooperation in the maritime transport sector. The UAE energy company Masdar also signed an agreement with the Ministry of Electricity to build five solar energy projects as part of the country's efforts to address energy shortages and climate change. 
    An agreement was signed between the two countries to protect mutual investments from any non-commercial risks, such as nationalization, confiscation of property, judicial seizure, and freezing of investments and assets, which reduces the overall risks of investments. An Emirati agricultural technology company also signed its first agricultural investment deal with the Kurdistan Regional Government in 2022 to help farmers use technology to increase production and efficiently manage water for irrigation.
    The report indicated that in February, the Iraqi Ministry of Oil awarded three 20-year contracts to develop oil and natural gas fields in the provinces of Basra and Diyala to Crescent Petroleum, an Emirati company that has been operating for a long time in the Kurdistan Region. 
    The report considered that the UAE's investment in both Kurdistan and the rest of Iraq may contribute to resolving the long dispute between Erbil and Baghdad over the rights to export oil and gas, adding that "Crescent Petroleum" is considered the first energy operator to have stakes in the Kurdistan Region and is allowed to invest in other regions of the country. Iraq, which is an unprecedented development in the relations between the oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region and the federal government, which is accustomed to blacklisting such companies.
    The report drew attention to another issue, which is that the "Crescent Oil" project related to Diyala Governorate, in which large Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces are stationed, is also an indication that the pro-Iranian forces may finally accept Gulf involvement in Iraq because it serves their political interests. 
    The report saw that by welcoming foreign investment, the groups associated with Tehran can refute criticisms of their opponent, Muqtada al-Sadr, that they are hindering the Iraqi economy. 
    Iraq - Saudi Arabia
    On Saudi Arabia's relations with Iraq, the report said that slow but steady progress has been achieved in Saudi-Iraqi relations during the past years, explaining that Saudi Arabia is focusing on strengthening the economic aspect within the framework of diversification within the "Vision 2030" and as a means to build trust with Iraq. 
    He pointed out that Saudi and Iraqi investors exchanged multiple visits to explore investment opportunities, and Saudi Arabia announced its goals to register about 100 companies in Iraq, adding that the head of the Iraqi National Investment Commission, Haider Makiya, visited Riyadh last March, where he stressed in meetings with Saudi officials the importance of " Strengthening economic and investment relations with regional and global countries, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 
    Besides, Saudi officials visited Baghdad to strengthen economic and diplomatic relations, and last February, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan met with senior Iraqi officials, including Al-Sudani, to discuss economic cooperation, trade, and cooperation in initiatives to address the effects of climate change. 
    The report indicated that the most prominent project is the electrical interconnection between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, which is scheduled to be completed by 2024, as the Kingdom is expected to export 1 gigawatt of electricity to Iraq in the first phase of the project via a 270-mile line extending from Arar to Baghdad. A separate electricity project planned to connect Iraq to the GCC electricity grid will be able to provide 1.8 gigawatts of electricity by 2025 from the Wafra plant in Kuwait to the Al-Faw plant in southern Iraq. 
    The report pointed out that the Gulf-Iraqi pipeline is funded by Kuwait and Qatar, with a budget of $220 million. 
    He added that the two projects are part of Iraq's efforts to diversify energy sources in particular to reduce its strong dependence on Iranian gas for energy generation and to meet the growing public demand.
    The next level of relationship 
    The report concluded by saying that Al-Sudani's predecessors in power laid the foundation for strong diplomatic and economic relations with Iraq's neighbors in the Gulf, and now it seems that he is ready to take relations to the next level, adding that this rapprochement is a result not only of the recognition of all parties that the hostile relations did not benefit anyone, But also as a result of the increasing demands of the Iraqi people for an independent and responsive government, which forced the government to review its policies of power and regional policies. 
    The report saw that Al-Sudani benefits from this popular support, and for that, he was able to show some independence from the forces that put him in power and to enjoy the ability to maneuver and maintain a balanced regional policy. 
    The report stated that the Sudanese government signed important agreements with both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, indicating that "Baghdad understands that maintaining strong relations with its Gulf neighbors is essential for political stability and economic growth."
    Translation: Shafak News Agency


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