Meeting of the Coordination Council of Saudi Arabia and Iraq with the Presence of Tillerson

On Sunday, October 22, Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, participated in a meeting aimed at improving relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq in Riyadh. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and King Salman of Saudi Arabia were present at the coordination council of the two countries. Earlier, on Saturday, October 21, the Associated Press reported that Tillerson, during his visit to Riyadh, would take steps towards creating a new coalition between Baghdad and Riyadh. The news agency cited the purpose of this coalition as 'closing the doors of the Arab world to the Islamic Republic' and 'countering Iran's increasing influence' in the region. According to the Associated Press, the Trump administration's plan to bring Saudi Arabia and Iraq closer is not new and has been under work by U.S. security advisors for several months. In this context, Tillerson stated that the meeting highlighted the great potential of Saudi-Iraqi relations. The Iraqi Prime Minister welcomed the negotiations, calling it an important step towards strengthening relations. King Salman also remarked that we are facing serious challenges in the region, including extremism, terrorism, and attempts to destabilize our countries. He added that we must fully pay attention to these efforts. The Abadi government is simultaneously seeking economic benefits from closer relations with Riyadh while rebuilding Iraq. Previously, Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, visited Iraq after 14 years in March 2017, just weeks after Donald Trump's presidency began, meeting with Haider al-Abadi and Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the Iraqi Foreign Minister. This was considered the first visit by a senior Saudi diplomat to Iraq since 2003. The Associated Press reported that this visit was made at the request of the U.S. Secretary of State, with Washington urging Riyadh to send this official to Baghdad as a sign of 'Saudi goodwill and their commitment to ending ISIS.' Meanwhile, Tillerson, who arrived in Riyadh on Saturday, October 21, will continue his six-day trip to Qatar, Pakistan, and India.