Iraq invites Qatar to attend summit of neighboring countries

By Ali Jawad

BAGHDAD (AA) – Iraq said Saturday it will extend an official invitation to Qatar to attend a summit of neighboring countries set to be held in Baghdad late this month.

Iraqi National Security Adviser, Qassem Al-Araji, has arrived in Doha to deliver the invitation to Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, his office said in a statement.

Qatar becomes the sixth country to be invited to attend the Baghdad summit after official invitations were handed to Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and Iran.

The summit seeks to bring together leaders of Iraq’s neighboring countries in an attempt to reduce regional tensions and channel more efforts towards combating terrorism.

Baghdad, which has recently been facing attacks from Daesh/ISIS, also wants to strengthen its economic relations with neighboring countries and open its doors to investments, and launch projects in areas freed from the terrorist group.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara