Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to start first by thanking His Excellency the Secretary of State of the United States, Mr. Mike Pompeo for convening such an important meeting, and by welcoming His Excellency Mr. Barham Ahmed Salih, President of the brotherly country of Iraq.
Terrorism remains one the threats that pose a great risk to global peace and security in our day and age. The success of the international coalition in defeating Daesh in Iraq and Syria reflects, undoubtedly, the commitment of the international community in the fight against terror. We believe in the ability of the brotherly people of Iraq to overcome the challenges of reconstruction. Qatar remains steadfastly committed to standing beside the brotherly people of Iraq during such a critical time and we call on the international community to lend its full support to Iraq-led construction efforts.
Keeping positive momentum in the anti-ISIS fight and ensuring a lasting defeat of its ideology cannot be possible without addressing the root causes of terrorism and extremism, ending and preventing armed conflicts, and enhancing global and regional cooperation, in conformity with International Law.
On the Syrian front, The State of Qatar reiterates its support for a political solution based on the terms of the Geneva process and the multiple UN Security Council-related resolutions. Additionally, perpetrators of war crimes both in ISIS and regime controlled areas must be held accountable for their actions.
The issue of terrorist foreign fighters remains of utmost importance and requires a genuine and comprehensive approach in order to rehabilitate those fighters and re-integrate them in their societies within the framework of the criminal justice system.
Last October, Doha hosted a high-level conference that brought together a number of international and regional experts who discussed ways to address the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters, and issued important recommendations on the matter.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Fight against terror is of utmost priority to the State of Qatar. Qatar has actively contributed to the anti-ISIS International Coalition efforts and will continue its engagement on the national, regional, and international levels. In that vein, I am pleased to announce that Doha will be hosting, this year, a high-level regional meeting to address the heinous crimes perpetrated by Dae’sh, in cooperation with the Special Adviser and Head of the Investigative Team for Accountability of Dae’sh Crimes in Iraq.
In closing, I wish you a very successful meeting and fruitful discussions.