Iraq's PM calls for national dialogue

23 September 2022


Political blocs and parties in Iraq should use the opportunity of national dialogue to bring their positions closer and overcome the crisis in the country, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said on Friday.


"In my speech at the UN General Assembly, I will call on the political forces of the country to start a third round of national dialogue between the political parties in Iraq," al-Kadhimi said, as quoted by the INA news agency INA.

 

As the prime minister noted, "the political parties need to take responsibility and seize the opportunity for national dialogue." To overcome the crisis, al-Kadhimi added, "Iraqis have no other way but dialogue."

 

The PM also informed that at the moment the foreign currency reserves of Iraq amount to $86 billion, according to his forecasts, "they (the reserves - TASS) will increase to $100 billion.

 

Earlier al-Kadhimi stated that Iraq is now in a state of political crisis, which may become the most complicated since 2003, i.e. since the overthrow of former President Saddam Hussein. The main political battle is now between two forces that represent the Shia community in the country: the movement of one of its most respected leaders, Moqtada al-Sadr, and the Coordination Framework, whose unofficial leader is former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The prime minister has already invited representatives of political blocs to meetings twice in the last month to launch national dialogue. And already twice  al-Kadhimi's calls have been ignored by al-Sadr's supporters.

 

 

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Photo: MohammadHuzam/Creative Commons 4.0

Based on materials from TASS