Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein announced on 7 December during a press conference with his Jordanian and Egyptian counterparts that a second regional summit on Iraq is scheduled for 20 December.

The second “version” of the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership is expected to include Iran and Turkiye, who were both present during last year’s session held in Baghdad on 28 August.

“This partnership and cooperation conference was held mainly to support Iraq, and when we talk about support for Iraq, this also implies support for Iraq’s sovereignty,” Hussein said.

“We are facing great challenges related to food security, drug security, and energy security, and because they are challenges that go beyond the borders of the country, we need regional and international relations to face these challenges,” he added.

The foreign minister highlighted the recent tensions on the country’s border, as both Ankara and Tehran have been launching operations against Kurdish militants present on their borders with Iraq.

Ankara’s campaign comes as part of Turkiye’s revenge operation against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), aimed at avenging the Istanbul bombing, while Iran’s anti-Kurdish operations focus on battling the separatist threat of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) on its border.

Hussein asserted that Baghdad is in constant communication with Tehran and Ankara to protect its sovereignty, adding that Iraq is upholding its vow to prevent militant organizations from launching attacks into neighboring countries.

Last month, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met with President Nechirvan Barzani of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), during which they agreed on the importance of border security and preventing attacks against neighboring countries.

A few days later, Sudani assured Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi of his intention to reign in the cross border attacks.

On 3 December, Iraqi media reported that the country’s border guard commander was dismissed from his post as part of a wide reshuffle of high-ranking security officials, and in light of the recent cross border attacks by Iran against Kurdish militants. The topic of border security is expected to be an issue of high priority during the upcoming conference.