Iraqi and Saudi foreign ministers meet in Riyadh on ties and security

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein met Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Riyadh on Sunday, where the two discussed expanding bilateral cooperation, strengthening regional security and reaffirming commitments to noninterference, according to Iraq’s Foreign Ministry.

The meeting, during Hussein’s official visit to Saudi Arabia, was attended by Iraq’s new National Security Adviser Qasim al-Aboudi and National Intelligence Service chief Hamid al-Shatri.

The ministry said Faisal described the relationship as rooted in “deep-rooted historical and fraternal ties” and said the kingdom remained committed to strengthening cooperation across various fields to serve both countries’ interests. He was quoted as saying “Iraq’s security is an integral part of the security of the region,” stressing the need to preserve relations and prevent actions that could undermine regional stability.

Hussein said the talks reflected “the shared determination of both sides to elevate bilateral relations to broader horizons,” and reaffirmed Iraq’s commitment to “balanced and distinguished relations with all neighboring countries.” He said the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran had affected regional relations and that Iraq was among the countries most affected by its direct and indirect consequences, including “attempts to undermine its relations with brotherly states.”

The visit is Hussein’s second to a Gulf country since the new government formed in mid-May. He arrived in Kuwait on Wednesday after the death of Iraqi fisherman Najm Abdullah Khalid, one of a group detained by the Kuwaiti Coast Guard, and stressed the importance of establishing joint mechanisms to prevent similar incidents.

In recent months, several drone attacks have been reported on Gulf states, attributed to Iran-aligned Iraqi armed factions after the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran in late February. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE have all summoned Iraqi diplomatic representatives in recent months to protest strikes launched from Iraqi territory.

On May 19, the Iraqi government condemned drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and reiterated its firm opposition to the use of Iraqi territory, airspace or waters to launch attacks against neighboring countries. The condemnation came after the Saudi Defense Ministry said two days earlier that it had intercepted three drones entering its airspace from Iraq, and reserved the right to respond “at the appropriate time and place.”