Tom Barrack after meeting al-Zaidi: Iraq’s stability is not inherited, it is created by its leaders.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Iraq and Syria, Tom Barrack, praised the leadership of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, stressing that Iraq’s stability, security and prosperity have repercussions for the entire region. Iraqeconomic news
Barak said in a post on the X platform, following his meeting with al-Zaidi, that “the meeting with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi was fruitful,” adding that “stability is not inherited, but is created by leaders who choose the difficult path.”
The US envoy added that “Iraq’s security and prosperity are the security and prosperity of the region,” expressing his gratitude to the Iraqi Prime Minister for his “leadership and partnership.”
Barak’s remarks come at a time when relations between Baghdad and Washington are undergoing a transformation in the nature of bilateral cooperation, following the end of the international coalition’s military mission in Iraq on September 30, and the transition to a new phase focused on economic partnership and common interests, in addition to the continuation of security cooperation between the two countries.
On Monday, during his visit to Baghdad and his meeting with US Chargé d’Affaires Steve Fagin, Barak confirmed that US-Iraqi relations are moving from a partnership based on security to a broader relationship based on economic cooperation and mutual interests.
This was preceded by a meeting between Barak and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein last Saturday in Istanbul, during which they discussed the future of bilateral relations after the end of the international coalition’s mission, as well as political, security and economic developments in the region, the financial situation in Iraq and changes related to the dinar exchange rate.
The issue of restricting weapons to the state is one of the most prominent topics of Iraqi-American talks, as Al-Zaidi and Barak had previously stressed, during their meeting in Baghdad last June, the importance of completing efforts aimed at ending the presence of armed formations outside the authority of the state, strengthening Iraqi sovereignty, and distancing the country from regional conflicts.
On October 1, al-Zaydi announced the adoption of a roadmap to address the issue of weapons outside state control, ending on June 30, 2027, coinciding with Iraq entering the post-withdrawal phase of the international coalition forces.
Shafaq.com