Iraqi president at Davos: 'Our interest does not lie in being drawn into conflicts that are not of our making'

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi President Barham Salih on Wednesday, at the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 50th Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, emphasized that no outside country should impose its policies on Iraq.

“We seek good relations with all sides, and our interest does not lie in being drawn into conflicts that are not of our making,” he said while delivering a speech on the second day of the 50th World Economic Forum, in a clear reference to the current aggressions between the United States and Iran playing out on Iraqi soil over the past several weeks.

“No country should tell us with whom we can develop ties as it is not in our interest to choose an ally [at] the expense of another,” added Salih.

The Iraqi president also stressed that the existence of US troops in Iraq is not a “sign of aggression,” a view championed by Iran and Iraqi politicians and militias it backs.

Iran launched over a dozen ballistic missiles at airbases in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region that house US and coalition forces in retaliation for the US killing of top Iranian general Qasim Soleimani.

Read More: Multiple rockets hit Iraq's Balad airbase, 4 wounded: military

Over the past several days, multiple rockets have also appeared to have targetted the US Embassy in Baghdad, a facility attacked by mobs of Iran-backed militias of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in late December.

Read More: Iraq finds rocket launch pad it says targeted US embassy in Baghdad

In his speech, Salih also mentioned that the Iraqi parliament's recent session in which many lawmakers voted for a non-binding resolution to oust US forces from Iraq “was not a sign of ingratitude or hostility, but rather a reaction to what many Iraqis see as violations of their country's sovereignty.”

Salih added that Iraq owes gratitude to the US-led anti-Islamic State Coalition for its “military and economic support in the fight against ISIS that is still ongoing.”

He also called for early national elections to end the political crisis in Iraq caused by a popular movement raging since early October that protests the low standard of living caused by institutional corruption and which has resulted in the resignation of Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi and his cabinet. Salih pointed out that elections “will restore Iraqis' trust of the government.” 

“He explained that protesters want a “democratic system that reflects the Iraqi identity and to restore their dignity. They want a clean and fair election.”          

The WEF holds its annual meeting in late January. This year’s summit is titled, “Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World,” and is focusing on pressing global economic, political, and security issues.   

Editing by John J. Catherine