Iraqi Minister of Culture to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Are Working On Real Partnerships with Saudi Arabia

Iraqi Minister of Culture to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Are Working On Real Partnerships with Saudi Arabia

Iraqi Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, Dr. Hassan Nadhem, said that his country’s participation as a guest of honor at the Riyadh International Book Fair (RIBF) this year comes in light of growing relations between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and tireless diplomatic work to build real partnerships at various levels.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Nadhem noted that diplomatic relations between Iraq and its Arab environment represented a new stage of communication.

“Iraq, which has assumed a major role in this culture over a century, is now reviving its relations with the Arab world, especially with Saudi Arabia.”

Ahead of his arrival to Riyadh for the RIBF, the Iraqi minister spoke to Asharq al-Awsat from Washington, where he was attending a ceremony for the recovery of the Gilgamesh Tablet, one of the archaeological treasures that had been smuggled from Iraq and returned to the country.

“Iraq’s participation this year in the Riyadh International Book Fair is vital and comes amid exceptional circumstances, as relations with the Kingdom are growing on many levels,” Nadhem stated.

“This participation is also the culmination of all the efforts made by the Kingdom and Iraq to restore the pivotal and essential links between the two countries. We know