The three Arab countries have held a tripartite summit to discuss the challenges facing the region in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Iraq, Egypt and Jordan strengthen ties to address challenges of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict

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Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, along with Jordan's Ayman Safadi, met with their Iraqi counterparts, Fouad Hussein, in Baghdad to "further cooperate" in facing the challenges of the war in Ukraine, as well as to discuss the new challenges facing the region in social and economic terms.

This tripartite summit demonstrates the desire of the three Arab countries to work together for the future of the region. The Iraqi minister explained that both his country and the region face "great and many challenges" that must be addressed in order to resolve all the negative consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. He noted that "the dimensions of the Russian-Ukrainian war affect many countries and societies, including our region" and stressed the "urgent need for joint cooperation to address the challenges"

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In light of the war, Minister Hussein had called on Arab countries to "create a path of dialogue in order to contain the growing geopolitical consequences of the conflict. The first of these is related to the energy sector. The West's boycott of Russia's oil and gas supplies means that both Europe and the US have turned to the Gulf states to become the main energy suppliers.

In a statement, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry reported that the war situation had become more influential and complex in the region, given 'the growing risks in many countries due to high energy prices and shortages of grain and supplies, and their impact on various societies in the Middle East and North Africa'

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Jordan's Foreign Minister Al-Safadi added that Jordan saw Iraq's security as "one of the securities of its country" and reiterated that the Hashemite kingdom supported Baghdad in facing all challenges. The Jordanian Foreign Ministry said the visit came in the context of ensuring the continuity of coordination and consultation within the framework of the tripartite cooperation mechanism between Jordan, Egypt and Iraq.

On the other hand, in the agri-food sector, the war has significantly influenced a reduction in production, as well as a rise in food prices. One of the countries most likely to be affected by this phenomenon is Egypt because of its heavy dependence on Russian and Ukrainian grain, 42% and 24% respectively.

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The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has been warning for months that food prices have reached the highest levels in the last decade. On the other hand, the severe drought that is hitting the Horn of Africa, as well as Iraq and Iran, is not helping the development of the sector and, therefore, of food supply.

Moreover, the rising cost of the energy sector is aggravating the problem, as it has a direct impact on transport and fertiliser prices. In this situation, not all countries can cope with global market disruptions in the same way, either because of their degree of food dependency or because of their uneven budgetary situation.

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Among the most vulnerable are Tunisia and Lebanon, both of which were in the throes of a major economic crisis before the war. If we talk about countries in the region that are experiencing not only an economic crisis, but also a humanitarian crisis, Yemen stands out, a country that has been suffering a major civil war since the outbreak of the Arab Spring.

Another issue that may be affected by the military conflict is the negotiations related to the Nuclear Pact because Russia is part of the negotiating tables. With energy prices rising and Russia being isolated internationally, maintaining calm and diplomacy in the Strait of Hormuz has become vital, especially given the nuclear threat.

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The holding of this tripartite summit also demonstrates a willingness to work together in the face of an imminent crisis resulting from the conflict. Both the effects of the Ukrainian war and the lessons that Russia has learned in the region from the civil war in Syria, as well as in other neighbouring countries, suggest that the repercussions of the conflict will be much more profound and long-lasting, not only in the energy sector, but also in other areas. The extent of these consequences in the medium and long term will depend on the development of the war.

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