Arab foreign ministers convene in Iraqi capital to prepare for annual summit

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) – An Arab ministerial meeting kicked off in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Thursday to prepare for the annual Arab summit, due on May 17.

The meeting began with a speech by Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al-Zayani, whose country is the current chair of the Arab summit, before he handed over the chairmanship of the meeting to Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.

In his speech, Hussein reiterated Iraq’s support for stability in Syria, before he announced the end of the opening session and turned it into a closed session.

This year’s annual Arab summit will be held under the theme: "Dialogue, Solidarity, and Development" to discuss a flurry of issues, including the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, where nearly 53,000 people have been killed since October 2023.