Salih: The Levant is unimaginable without its Christians

Shafaq News / The Iraqi President, Barham Salih, commended today Pope Francis's visit to Iraq.

In a speech, Salih said that the Pope's insistence on visiting Iraq despite the Pandemic and the difficult circumstances Iraq is going through, "doubles the value of the visit."

He added, "the Middle East is facing a crisis of coexistence and acceptance of others due to tensions and terrorism, which threatens everyone's future", adding, "We must continue to combat terrorism and extremist ideology, and support coexistence and diversity. This is the best gift we can give to future generations."

Salih stressed the need for Iraq to be a country of harmony and cooperation between the region's countries, which supports a regional system based on respect for sovereignty and economic integration.

The Iraqi President concluded, "The Christians of the Levant are the people of this land and "its salt". The Levant is unimaginable without Christians. The continued migration of Christians from the countries of the East will have dire consequences on coexistence in the region."