Al-Abadi: ‘Region cannot tolerate any further divisions’
RIYADH: Saudi King Salman and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi launched the Saudi-Iraq Coordination Council’s (SICC) maiden session in Riyadh on Sunday.
The council has been convened to strengthen Saudi-Iraqi strategic ties and counter Iran’s regional influence.
Addressing the meeting at Al-Yamamah Palace, King Salman said: “We are facing in our region serious challenges in the form of extremism, terrorism, as well as attempts to destabilize our countries … These attempts require our full attention.”
Referring to the stepped-up move of Baghdad to curb the menace of terrorism, King Salman said: “We congratulate our brothers on the achievements made in terms of eradicating and defeating terrorism.”
He also thanked US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for attending the meeting “which reflects the attention being paid by President Donald Trump and the US administration to the common interests between” Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
In his speech, Al-Abadi said: “The region cannot tolerate any further divisions.” He renewed his call to stop “interference in the internal affairs of other states.”
The council “highlights the strength and breadth, as well as the great potential of the relationship between your countries,” State Secretary Tillerson said.
Tillerson said the growing relationship between the two countries “vital to bolstering our collective security and prosperity.” Detailed coverage SICC joint statement