On behalf of His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Maliki, Assistant Secretary-General and head of the Economic Affairs Sector, participated in the reopening ceremony of the headquarters of the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils in Baghdad.
The event was held in the presence of His Excellency Dr. Naeem Al-Aboudi, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Republic of Iraq, alongside His Excellency Dr. Abdul Majeed Benamara, Secretary-General of the Federation. The ceremony was also attended by a distinguished gathering that included deputy ministers and officials from the Ministry of Higher Education and other Iraqi ministries, deans and representatives of academic institutions, and presidents and directors-general of institutions and organisations of joint Arab action.
In his inaugural address, Ambassador Al-Maliki expressed his pleasure at attending the reopening of the Federation's headquarters, which comes on the sidelines of Baghdad's hosting of the 34th Ordinary Session of the Arab Summit and the Fifth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit on 17 May.
His Excellency conveyed the greetings of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States to the participants, expressing hope that the Federation will continue to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of joint Arab action in the field of scientific research. He further extended his profound appreciation to His Excellency President Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani, Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq, and to His Excellency the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, for their role in facilitating the Federation's return to its original headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq.
For his part, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research affirmed that Baghdad is reclaiming its pioneering role in the Arab scientific sphere. He pointed to the significance of reestablishing the Federation's headquarters in the Iraqi capital as a pivotal milestone, calling for its transformation into a beacon for Arab research programmes. He announced that the Ministry has allocated approximately two billion Iraqi dinars from its Higher Education Fund to support the Federation, reflecting Iraq's firm commitment to fostering a robust Arab scientific research environment and underscoring the government's resolve to be a cornerstone in the framework of joint Arab action.
The Minister further noted that the initiative to reinstate the Federation's headquarters in Baghdad received the direct endorsement of the Iraqi Cabinet, which approved the Ministry's recommendations, including Iraq's contribution of 50% of the Federation's annual budget and the facilitation of administrative procedures for its staff through coordination with the relevant national authorities.
The ceremony concluded with a presentation of honorary shields by Dr. Abdul Majeed Benamara, Secretary-General of the Federation, in recognition of the efforts and support of Ambassador Dr. Al-Maliki and Dr. Al-Aboudi for their pivotal roles in reinstating the Federation's presence in Baghdad.
