Libya, Iraq vow closer ties as joint committee meets in Baghdad

Libya's acting Foreign Minister Taher Al-Baour arrived in Baghdad on Sunday to strengthen bilateral ties with Iraq across multiple sectors, calling for deeper collaboration in education, health and oil during a joint news conference with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein. Al-Baour emphasized that the North African nation seeks to assert itself as an effective state within the Arab region through renewed regional partnerships.

"Our relationship with Iraq is longstanding, and the two countries share many common issues," Al-Baour said, stressing the need for enhanced information-sharing between the two governments. He added that Libya aims to become an effective state within the Arab region, according to the Iraqi News Agency.

High-level joint committee

The visit coincides with the reconvening of the Libyan-Iraqi Joint Committee, a high-level institutional framework that had remained dormant for 25 years following its last session in Tripoli in 2001. The committee, which first convened in 2000 with plans for annual meetings, saw its activities suspended after the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and the 2011 collapse of Muammar Gaddafi's government in Libya.

Baour and Hussein are scheduled to participate in committee meetings on Sunday and Monday, with the framework intended to facilitate agreements covering economy, trade, investment, health, education and security cooperation, sources told Anadolu. The agenda includes discussions on restoring diplomatic mechanisms that predate the regional conflicts of the past two decades.

Leadership messages

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi received the Libyan delegation and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations, receiving a written message from Libyan National Unity Government Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. The message emphasized "the importance of consolidating and strengthening bilateral relations between Iraq and Libya," and extended an official invitation for Al-Zaidi to visit Libya "at the earliest possible opportunity," according to a statement from the prime minister's office.

Al-Zaidi said Iraq was "determined to build the best possible foreign relations with brothers and friends," emphasizing Baghdad's commitment to economic integration to "strengthen capabilities, support sustainable development and reinforce the foundations of a positive partnership." The Iraqi premier highlighted opportunities for consolidating Arab solidarity through practical economic and diplomatic initiatives.

Diplomatic developments

Hussein told reporters that efforts were underway to develop comprehensive relations with Libya and affirmed Baghdad's support for a peaceful settlement among Libyan parties. He added that Al-Baour's visit would include the signing of several memorandums of understanding between the two foreign ministries.

The two ministers also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern during their initial talks upon Al-Baour's arrival. The committee's reconvening marks the first institutional dialogue between the two Arab states since the early 2000s, prior to the successive regional upheavals that disrupted bilateral mechanisms.