The Secretary-General congratulates Mr. Barham Salih on his election and swearing in on Tuesday, 2 October as President of the Republic of Iraq.

The Secretary-General welcomes the agreement reached on 17 September between President Erdogan of Turkey and President Putin of Russia to create a demilitarized buffer zone in Idlib region, which should avert a full-scale military operation and provide reprieve for millions of civilians.

We regret the United States’ decision to provide no further funding to UNRWA, which provides essential services to Palestine refugees and contributes to stability in the region. The US has traditionally been the largest single contributor to UNRWA. We appreciate its support over the years.