ABU DHABI // Iraq's foreign minister has said the absence of a significant Arab diplomatic presence in Baghdad in the past five years was a "big mistake" and recent moves to rectify the situation were crucial to the country's stability.
During a visit to Abu Dhabi yesterday, Hoshyar Zebari said the resumption of diplomatic ties with several Arab countries in recent months had helped foster his government's legitimacy.
"We didn't give up hope that the Arab brothers will come back to Baghdad," he said. "This will boost the Iraqi government's feeling that it's part of the area that it belongs to.
"The absence of Arabs from Iraq was a big mistake. It is not right and it is not acceptable.
"We have endured the patience of Job throughout the last five years. Opening embassies will contribute to stability. Opening embassies is important."
He said a recent visit to Baghdad by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, carried political support to his country.
In June, the UAE named Abdullah al Shehi as its new ambassador to Baghdad, making it the first GCC nation to reopen its embassy in the Iraqi capital since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain then followed the UAE lead by naming their own.
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Egyptian foreign minister, visited Baghdad this month, promising to reopen an embassy soon. In 2005, Egypt's top diplomat to Baghdad, Ihab al Sharif, was abducted and murdered by insurgents.
Arab officials have often cited the security situation in Baghdad as the reason behind their limited relationship with the new democracy. But other governments, including that of the UAE, maintain they have a strong relationship with the young administration in Baghdad.
A number of Iraqi legislators who had visited several Arab countries, claimed that Arab officials were concerned about taking further steps in building relations with Iraq because of its "allegiance" to Iran.
Mr Zebari said Iranian influence in Iraq was natural. "Iran has strong diplomatic clout in Iraq through its embassy, consulates and visits," he said. "Iran is our strong neighbour and we have a strong relationship with it. It has the right to be present in Iraq."
Speaking of the UAE's relationship with Iraq, the foreign minister said: "Iraq and the Emirates have wide-ranging levels of economic, political and investment co-operation.
"Iraq will become, after it is fully stable, a very major workshop in the Middle East and that's why the Emirati [investors] will be strongly involved here."
This month, Al Maabar International Investments, an Abu Dhabi-based property developer, announced plans for a US$10 billion (Dh36.7bn) project in Baghdad, to include residential areas, hotels and hospitals.
The Iraqi government announced earlier this month that it was preparing a security agreement that would legitimise the US presence in Iraq beyond the UN-imposed Dec 31 deadline. The foreign minister said the security situation in Iraq was improving but added: "It is still fragile. Unless we conclude the [security] agreement [with the US], the security will not be durable. That is why we say it is fragile.
"If the agreement is ratified we expect a full withdrawal of the US troops by 2011," Mr Zebari said, adding that supporters of the cleric Muqtada al Sadr, who oppose the deal, have limited numbers in the parliament and their opposition would not affect the vote.
Mr Zebari said local elections would be held before the end of January. "They are very important. They will change the political scene in Iraqi provinces. There will be fierce competition with 400 entities already registered, political parties and civil bodies."
Mr Zebari was visiting Abu Dhabi to participate in the Future Forum conference, which was attended by foreign ministers and senior officials from the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, the subcontinent and the Group of Eight industrial nations.
mhabboush@thenational.ae
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Results
1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
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Company%20Profile
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Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Company%20Profile
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Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Company%20Profile
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
