The visit to Iraq of the president of Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, It was closed with a series of commitments that elevate the bilateral relationship and with the ratification of Spain's commitment to the security and stability of the country in the midst of the general situation that exists in Middle East.
Sánchez starred in what Moncloa considers the first official visit to Iraq by a head of the Spanish Executive because there is only one precedent, that of José María Aznar in 2003but at that time the country was under de United States.
The objective of Sánchez's trip was twofold: on the one hand, to visit the Spanish soldiers participating in international missions in Iraq, and, on the other, meet with the main authorities of the country.
To this he added a commercial component since he accompanied a group of Spanish businessmen to a meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohamed Shia al Sudani, to explore investments.
Prior to that meeting, he had already met alone with Al Sudani and had held another interview with the country's president, Abdelatif Rashid, two contacts in which he wanted to make it clear that Spain is not going to give up its efforts to continue collaborating in the security and stability of Iraq.
He conveyed this behind closed doors and proclaimed it in a joint statement with his Iraqi counterpart in which he said that this commitment will continue.
“My country, always at the request of the Iraqi authorities, will support the unity, sovereignty and stability of Iraq,” he guaranteed.
A commitment that he considers evident with the presence of Spanish troops in Iraq and that has become more visible even this year, in his opinion, when in May a Spanish general, José Antonio Agüero, assumed command of the NATO mission in Iraq. involving Spanish soldiers.
Tribute to CNI agents
The “Union III” base in which these troops are deployed was one of the points of their agenda in Baghdadand there he toured their facilities, praised the work they do and paid tribute to the twelve members of the armed forces and civil guard who have lost their lives in Iraq.
In a special way, he paid tribute to the seven CNI agents murdered twenty years ago (on November 29, 2003) in a terrorist ambush in Latifiya when they were carrying out a reconnaissance mission traveling in two civilian vehicles that were attacked with grenades and rifles.
These agents said that they guide the daily work of the Spanish military on international missions.
Before his intervention before the military, Sánchez toured various rooms of the base with General Agüero, including the so-called Casa España, place of work and rest of the Spanish troops.
Inside there is a plaque in tribute to Commander Carlos Baró, one of the seven CNI agents murdered and which, as explained to the President of the Government, was placed in 2021 by members of the parachute brigade to which he belonged.
There was an emotional moment when the head of the Executive greeted the commander's widow, who works as an official at the Moncloa Palace.
Spain currently has 362 soldiers deployed in Iraq participating in two missions.
The one located in the base visited by Sánchez, deployed by NATO, is for advice to the Iraqi authoritiesand 183 soldiers from Spain, the country that contributes the most to it, participate in it.
In addition, another 178 soldiers participate in the “Inherent Resolve” operation of the international coalition against Daesh.
The Iraqi president and prime minister thanked Sánchez for Spain's collaboration in guaranteeing security in their country.
My country, always at the request of the Iraqi authorities, will support the unity, sovereignty and stability of Iraq
Situation in Gaza
Along with the situation in Iraq and bilateral relations, Sánchez and his Iraqi counterpart addressed the moment the Middle East is going throughwith special attention to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Both agreed to defend a permanent ceasefire that would alleviate the “unbearable” suffering of the civilian population of Gaza.
In this context, Al Sudani, according to Spanish sources, praised Sánchez for the “brave” position he is taking on the matter, defending Israel's respect for international law.
He also invited him to participate in the next Cooperation and Partnership conference in Baghdad, which, as yet undated, aims to be a diplomatic tool to prevent the escalation of violence in the region and a framework to promote cooperation and conflict resolution.
Both delegations agreed in describing bilateral relations as excellent, but also that they still have enormous potential for growth.
To promote them in the economic field, it was agreed to convene a meeting of the Joint Economic and Commercial Commission in Baghdad in 2024.
The fight against climate change was another common objective expressed during the visit, and in that context the Iraqi prime minister announced that his country will join the Alliance for Resilience against Drought promoted last year by Spain and Senegal.
EFE
#reason #visit #President #Government #Spain #Pedro #Sánchez #Iraq