Assistant Secretary-General Ambassador Hossam Zaki led a high-level delegation from the General Secretariat on an official visit to Baghdad, entrusted by the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, on 29-30 January, with the objective of engaging with the Iraqi authorities and assessing the ongoing preparations for hosting the forthcoming Arab Summit in Iraq.
In press statements at the conclusion of the visit—following the delegation’s reception by His Excellency Mr. Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Prime Minister of Iraq—Ambassador Zaki conveyed the delegation’s appreciation for the Iraqi government’s commitment to ensuring the success of the summit. He commended Iraq’s dedication to mobilising all necessary resources to meet the aspirations of the member states.
Following the delegation’s meeting with His Excellency Mr. Fouad Hussein, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq, Ambassador Zaki reaffirmed the League’s determination to extend all possible support and expertise to achieve the summit’s objectives.
He further noted that the discussions included an exchange of perspectives on the overall regional situation, during which the delegation shared insights drawn from its extensive experience in facilitating previous summits. These inputs aimed to assist the specialised technical committees established by the Iraqi government in overseeing the organisational and logistical aspects of the event.
Ambassador Zaki highlighted that the delegation conducted inspections of several proposed hotels designated to accommodate official delegations, as well as the conference halls earmarked for the summit’s proceedings. The delegation meticulously reviewed the ongoing preparations to ensure they meet the highest standards of readiness.
Concluding his remarks, the Assistant Secretary-General expressed the delegation’s satisfaction with the measures undertaken by Iraq to host Arab leaders and member-state delegations, emphasising that these efforts will contribute to fostering an environment conducive to the success of the Arab Summit.
