The importance of the Baghdad conference

The Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership on Saturday, co-organised by Iraq and France, hosted by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi and French President Emmanuel Macron, and attended by the United Arab Emirates, represented by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al Sisi, Jordan’s King Abdullah, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Al-Thani, Kuwait’s Prime Minister Sheikh Saba Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal Bin Farhan, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian promises to be an important diplomatic meeting point of the regions’ countries. It is an opportunity for Iraq, going through political and economic turmoil, to mark a place for itself as a regional interlocutor.

The conference is expected to discuss the crises in Lebanon, the war in Yemen and the need for a dialogue among the leaders in the region. Macron and Al-Kadhimi have also emphasised the need to fight terrorism as represented by Daesh.

The need for dialogue in the region is quite evident, and it is also to be recognised that this conference in Baghdad is just a beginning. It is well nigh impossible to discuss all the problems and find solutions to them at a single meeting. The presence of France is indeed curious because Macron is facing what he and other politicians in France consider to be the menace of terrorism coming from the militant groups in France. The French leader must be seeking an endorsement at Baghdad that the stringent laws he intends to bring against the religious fundamentalists is supported by the Arab countries.

There is a consensus stretching from Cairo to Abu Dhabi that religious fundamentalism threatens the economic development and wellbeing of the people in the region. And Macron is likely to find a friendly ear about his concerns and views. The Arab endorsement will strengthen Macron’s ability to win the trust of the Muslim communities in France, mostly migrants from North African countries of Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria.

Iraq is also strategically placed geographically and diplomatically to be an intermediary between Saudi Arabia and Iran, formidable powers in their own and each seeking to extend its own influence. In the complex power relations in the region, both the countries would want to play an important role. Iran is also anxious to be closer to the Arab countries to counter the influence of Israel, which has established diplomatic relations with the Arab countries.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the power politics in the region is extremely complicated, and each of them will have to meet each other to forge better understanding and cooperate with each other in matters of economic development. It would be interesting to speculate that the United States is absent because of the presence of Iran at the conference, and that the presence of France reflects the stance of European Union (EU) countries towards Iran.

It is not to be overlooked that the international conference at Baghdad is also an attempt by Iraqi leader Al-Kadhimi to restore the democratic credentials of his own government as he faces an election in October. He is sure to present the conference as an achievement of his government to establish the importance of Iraq in the region after decades of isolation.

The success of the conference is quite crucial for the Iraqi and French leaders, and it provides an opportunity for the other leaders in the region to consult on the challenges facing the region and to forge better networks of communication at the diplomatic level.