Iraqi president, UN chief discuss regional peace, upcoming Arab League Summit

Baghdad, May 17 (IANS) Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid met with visiting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Baghdad to discuss advancing regional peace and the upcoming 34th Arab League Summit.

Rashid on Friday, welcomed Guterres and thanked him for attending the upcoming summit, according to a statement from the Iraqi Presidency.

Rashid praised the longstanding and constructive partnership between Iraq and the UN, as well as the vital humanitarian and development work carried out by UN agencies operating in Iraq, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the statement.

Hosting the summit reflects Iraq's renewed role as a regional convener and its commitment to supporting multilateral initiatives that enhance security and cooperation, Rashid said, expressing hope that the summit would yield meaningful decisions to reinforce collective Arab action and solidarity.

Guterres commended Iraq's increasingly proactive role in promoting regional stability and voiced optimism about the summit's potential to enhance Arab cooperation, accelerate sustainable development, and strengthen efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability across the region and beyond, the statement added.

The meeting also addressed key themes and expected outcomes of the summit, including proposed resolutions aimed at fostering peace, unity, and prosperity across the Arab world, the statement said.

The summit, scheduled for Saturday in Baghdad, will focus centrally on the Palestinian issue. It marks the second such event hosted by Iraq since the 2003 US invasion.

--IANS

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