Activities of Secretary-General in Iraq, 15-18 May
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Baghdad on Thursday, 15 May to attend the League of Arab States Summit. He was greeted by Fuad Mohammad Hussein, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iraq, in the airport upon his arrival.
On Friday, 16 May, the Secretary-General met with Abdullatif Jamal Rashid, the President of Iraq. The Secretary-General thanked Iraq for its hospitality and discussed regional issues.
Also on Friday, Mr. Guterres held a bilateral meeting with Mahamoud Youssof, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. They discussed the situation in various countries in Africa. Later, the Secretary-General held a meeting with the representative of the Sudanese delegation to the Arab Summit.
The Secretary-General also held a meeting with Badr Abdelatty, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Egypt. They discussed the situation in Gaza, as well as other issues in the region.
On the margins of the Summit, he held a trilateral meeting with Mr. Youssouf, and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Abu al-Ghait. Their meeting focused on Sudan, and how to better cooperate and maintain a regular contact to better coordinate all initiatives in relation to peace in Sudan.
On Friday evening, the Secretary-General had a meeting with Mr. Hussein. They discussed various issued, including the UN-Iraqi relations and the progress Iraq has made over the past years.
On Saturday, Mr. Guterres attended the League of Arab States Summit. In the remarks that he delivered, the Secretary-General reiterated our constant calls for an urgently needed permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages and the need for free flow of humanitarian aid. “Only a two-State solution can deliver sustainable peace,” he said.
He also spoke about the situation in other parts of the region, including Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Sudan and Somalia. And underscored the vital partnership between the United Nations and the League of Arab States.
He also met with the His Excellency Jafar Hassan, Prime Minister of Jordan, where they discussed developments in the region and the situation in Gaza.
Separately, he discussed the situation in Lebanon with His Excellency Nawaf Salam, Prime Minister of Lebanon.
On Saturday, the Secretary-General had a press encounter in Baghdad. He said that the problems of violence and volatility are the results of concrete choices of people and the solutions are also in the hands of decision makers. “I am convinced that the Arab world has the strength, the wisdom and the opportunity to lead the way towards peace, dignity and a future worthy of all its people.”
On Sunday, he spoke with His Excellecy Mohammed Shia' al Sudani, the Prime Minister of Iraq. The Secretary-General during those talks reaffirmed that we remain fully committed to continuing to support the Government and people of Iraq following the planned departure of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).
The Secretary-General also addressed the UN staff in Baghdad to express his thanks to them.
He laid a wreath at a memorial in the UN Compound in honour of 22 UN colleagues who were brutally killed during the terrorist attack at the Canal Hotel on 19 August 2003. Mr. Guterres said that “this memorial is as a clear reminder of the vital work that the United Nations does around the world — and the dangers our people face in carrying out that work.”
The Secretary-General departed Baghdad on Sunday, 18 May, and arrived in New York on Monday, 19 May.