Al-Nabaa Forum for Dialogue organized a comprehensive panel discussion in the Karbala governorate titled "Lebanese-Iraqi Relations in Light of Middle East Shifts." The event hosted the Lebanese Ambassador to Iraq, Ali Adeeb Al-Habhab, and the session was moderated by Dr. Wathiq Al-Hashimi, a member of the forum and President of the Iraqi Group for Strategic Studies.
Participants in the symposium included the First Deputy Governor of Karbala, Jassim Al-Fatlawi; several provincial council members; and the representative of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Ali Kammouna. The event was also attended by religious, academic, legal, and syndicate figures, alongside directors of research and studies centers, civil activists, media professionals, and journalists.
The forum's Head, journalist Ali Al-Talqani, opened the symposium by emphasizing that Iraqi-Lebanese relations span a long history and are experiencing growth and expansion across various dimensions. He explained that both countries face similar political and security conditions driven by events along their borders, necessitating an alignment of perspectives between Baghdad and Beirut to confront the continuous transformations in the Middle East.
For his part, Lebanese Ambassador Ali Adeeb Al-Habhab provided a detailed overview of Lebanon's history and the depth of the bilateral relations linking Baghdad and Beirut since bygone eras. He highlighted the familial and sectarian ties between the two nations, describing them as deep-seated historical roots that foster amity and peace between both peoples, rather than serving as a source of division or a negative influence on the internal social fabric of either country.
Al-Habhab emphasized that "both peoples aspire to a democratic process that serves their interests, shakes off the dust of war, and advances reconstruction efforts for the benefit of citizens, following the Lebanese victories against Israeli aggression in 1996 and 2006, and the resulting cohesion among the people, the army, and the resistance. This cohesion has also been mirrored in Iraq through the army, the people, and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which played a pivotal role in confronting terrorism, restoring sovereignty to Iraqi cities, unifying the country, and rejecting any form of partition."
The ambassador added, "The similarities between Iraq and Lebanon necessitate the exchange of expertise and experiences to develop the political process, foster democracy, dismantle sectarian quotas, and institutionalize the state. Advancing bilateral relations, particularly amidst the region's security and political developments, contributes to bolstering regional stability. Furthermore, expanding parliamentary and economic cooperation between the two nations is an urgent necessity. Given the previous visits by Lebanese officials to Iraq, it is important to work toward waiving visa requirements between the two countries to promote easier communication and cooperation."
