Iraq parliament to host regional rivals in Baghdad

BAGHDAD: Iraq will host senior officials from neighbouring countries including regional arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran on Saturday, as it carves out a role as a mediator in the deeply divided region.

The one-day summit will bring together parliament heads from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, and Kuwait, a parliamentary spokesman told AFP. Iran, one of Iraq´s closest allies but a fierce foe of Saudi Arabia, will be represented by a "senior official," the spokesman said.

The conference will be hosted by Iraq´s youngest-ever speaker of parliament Mohammed al-Halbusi, 38, who said Friday Iraq was "honoured by the presence of its neighbours in Baghdad." Hours earlier, he had welcomed Syria´s parliament chief Hammudeh Sabbagh, who landed in the Iraqi capital on Thursday night with a large delegation.

Iraq has long been at the centre of a struggle for influence between regional and international powers, notably neighbouring Iran and the United States. But more recently, Baghdad has sought to fashion itself as a mediator among rivals in the Middle East and beyond.