German scholar Sebastian Sones: Iraq is the key to dialog in the Middle East

CARPO political analyst Sebastian Sones stressed the importance of promoting regional dialogue in light of the growing polarization at the regional and international levels, praising Iraq's influential role in this field, especially in mediating between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Sones said in a statement during his participation in the seventh Baghdad International Dialogue Conference organized by the Iraqi Institute for Dialogue in Baghdad: "Iraq has played an active and influential role in facilitating regional dialogues, such as the negotiations between Tehran and Riyadh, and this makes it a pivotal party in the regional dialogue scene."

He added that such conferences represent a vital platform to bring together stakeholders from across the region and the world to discuss opportunities for dialogue and cooperation, while emphasizing that "academic dialogue does not achieve tangible results unless it is linked to the decision-making level."

Sones emphasized the importance of providing communication channels between researchers and decision-makers to ensure that theoretical discussions are transformed into practical solutions in the areas of de-escalation and conflict resolution, explaining that dialogue alone is not enough without realistic implementation steps.

In the same vein, Sones noted that major geo-economic projects, such as Iraq's "Development Road," can contribute to more realistic and sustainable solutions to regional challenges.

The German scholar expressed his gratitude for participating in the conference, saying: "I am very grateful to the Iraqi Institute for Dialogue for hosting the conference, which provided a unique opportunity to bring together participants from Europe, the United States, China, Iran and other countries to interact and exchange views on the prospects for dialogue in the region."