Speaking at the eighth Baghdad Dialogue conference in the Iraqi capital, Amidi said Iraq faces difficulties transporting its oil because it does not have a national fleet of oil tankers, Anadolu Agency reported.
“There is facilitation for some ships carrying Iraqi oil in the Strait of Hormuz,” he said without providing further details.
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Amidi stressed that the strategic waterway is critical to global energy flows and that developments there affect countries around the world.
“The Strait of Hormuz has an impact on the entire world, not just Iraq,” he said.
The Iraqi president also said Baghdad was determined to avoid becoming involved in the ongoing war between Iran and the US, despite Iraq being among the countries most affected by the conflict.
Amidi said he believed Washington was seeking an agreement with Tehran to bring the war to an end.
On Iraq’s domestic security, Amidi said the constitution requires weapons to be under state control and noted that Najaf’s religious authority also supports the principle.
He called for dialogue with armed groups to bring weapons under government authority through what he described as an Iraqi national solution.
Amidi also stressed that Baghdad would not allow Iraqi territory to be used to launch attacks against other countries.
He said he had spoken with Iran’s parliament speaker and conveyed messages to Tehran concerning a review of relations between the two countries.
Regarding the US-led international coalition against Daesh, also known as ISIS, Amidi said the coalition had originally entered Iraq at Baghdad’s request to fight the group but was no longer needed. He said its withdrawal was scheduled for Sept. 30.
The president said Iraq would make regional decisions based on its national interests, emphasizing: “Iraq comes first.”
“There is no security in the region without Iraq’s security and stability,” he added.
The comments came two days after Iraq asked Iran to give the country “special consideration” over oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz during Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf’s visit to Baghdad.
The request was raised during Qalibaf’s talks with Iraqi officials amid concerns over restrictions in the strategic waterway and their potential impact on Iraqi oil exports.
The eighth Baghdad Dialogue conference opened Friday, bringing together officials, political figures, diplomats and academics to discuss regional and international developments as well as political, security and economic challenges facing the region.
