Egypts Foreign Minister arrives in Baghdad

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Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry arrived in Baghdad on Friday on the third leg of his tour of Arab countries, to discuss ways to contain threats posed by the Islamic State to Iraq's unity.

Shoukry is scheduled to hold talks with Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and a number of Iraqi officials on ways to achieve reconciliation among Iraqi politicians in order to face threats posed by rebel group the Islamic State.

Shoukry was welcomed at the Baghdad Airport by Foreign Ministry Under-secretary Nizar Shoukry, on behalf of Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari.

Political relations in Iraq hit a low on Wednesday (July 9) when Maliki accused the Kurds of allowing Arbil to be used as a center for Islamic State and others, including former members of Saddam Hussein's now-banned Baath Party.

Zebari, a Kurd, said on Friday the Kurdish political bloc has ended all participation in the national government in protest over the prime minister's comments and that Kurdish ministers are now suspending their day-to-day running of his ministry as well as the trade,

migration, health ministries and the deputy premiership.

Sunnis and Kurds demand Maliki leave office, but he shows no sign of agreeing to step aside.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said last week a referendum on the independence of Iraq's Kurdish region would lead to a "catastrophic" break-up of the country, which is facing an onslaught by Sunni Islamist militants.

With the Islamist-led insurgency consuming Iraq's Sunni provinces, the United States and other countries have called for politicians in Baghdad to set up a more inclusive government following a parliamentary election in April.

The gains by the Islamic State (formerly known as Islamist state of Iraq and Levant) and other fighters pose the gravest security challenge to Maliki's Shi'ite-led government since the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2011 and raise the specter of Iraq fragmenting along sectarian and ethnic lines.

But the new legislature has failed to agree on leadership for the country, leaving Maliki in power as a caretaker while Shi'ite and Kurdish leaders trade accusations over the insurgency.

REUTERS

Egypt's Foreign Minister arrives in Baghdad