Prime Minister Ali Falih Al-Zaidi addressed the UN General Assembly on Thursday to discuss Iraq's evolving role in the Middle East. He announced that the country is transitioning from military to economic partnerships as it works to diversify supply routes in response to the current crisis in the Gulf. Al-Zaidi specifically endorsed the Development Road project and urged that trade facilitation across the region remain based on sovereignty and non-interference.

Al-Zaidi said that Iraq will rise following years of conflict that cost the nation its resources and resulted in the death of many children. The speech, delivered on Sept. 25, emphasized the need to recover lost development opportunities to ensure future stability.