Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani met yesterday at the Farnesina Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein. The meeting reaffirmed the commitment to strengthening political dialogue between Rome and Baghdad and the importance to Italy of stability and security in Iraq, a country of strategic importance for the balance of power across the entire region. Tajani reiterated Italy’s full support for the Iraqi institutions and their commitment – following the withdrawal of forces from Operation Inherent Resolve – to ensuring security in the country and the state’s monopoly on the use of force.
The two ministers discussed the main regional crises in depth, emphasising the need to work towards diplomatic solutions that would ensure the stability and security of the entire region. Particular attention was paid to the issue of combating terrorism and the need to prevent any resurgence of Daesh. Tajani referred to the recent meeting of the Global Coalition Against Daesh hosted at the Farnesina, which was attended by the Iraqi National Security Adviser. “Iraq’s security is a strategic priority for Italy and for Europe,” said Tajani, “especially at this time of deep crisis throughout the region: the ongoing armed conflicts must be brought to an end; the only way forward is to use diplomacy to return to political dialogue. Italy does not want the military crisis in the Persian Gulf to escalate and further destabilise the countries in the region.”
On the economic front, Tajani expressed satisfaction with the trend in trade, which stood at EUR 2.3 billion in 2025, highlighting the significant opportunities for growth in exports and investment. In addition to the energy sector, Tajani cited infrastructure, water management, agribusiness, healthcare and industrial machinery as areas for potential cooperation, whilst also highlighting the opportunities offered by regional connectivity projects, starting with the Iraq Development Road and the IMEC Corridor.
Finally, the Minister confirmed that Iraq remains a priority partner for Italian development cooperation. The Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted Italy’s long-standing commitment to the protection and promotion of Iraq’s archaeological and cultural heritage, recalling Italy’s contribution to the reopening of the National Museum in Baghdad and the 18 archaeological missions co-funded by the MAECI in 2026, which make Iraq the country with the highest number of Italian archaeological missions abroad.
