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Shafaq News-
Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister
Ali al-Zaidi on Saturday delivered his first address to the nation since
assuming office, setting out a broad government agenda anchored in economic
diversification and a declared commitment to combating corruption.

Speaking in a
televised address marking his formal assumption of office, al-Zaidi said his
government would work to reduce Iraq’s dependence on a single revenue source
—an implicit reference to the country’s near-total reliance on oil exports —by
activating the industrial, agricultural, tourism, and investment sectors.

Corruption, he
said, constitutes “an obstacle to development that delays the progress of
the state.” The government would move to protect public funds and pursue
administrative and financial corruption “in all its forms,” al-Zaidi
said, without detailing specific mechanisms or institutional mandates.

Job creation
for youth was listed among the government’s stated priorities to be pursued
through development projects, investment incentives, and private sector
partnerships. Al-Zaidi said his administration would work toward “equal”
distribution of opportunities for all Iraqis, “free from favoritism,”
and grounded in the principles of citizenship and social justice.

Education and
Healthcare

Commitments to
the education sector included curriculum development and the rehabilitation of
schools and universities. On healthcare, al-Zaidi said the government had plans
to develop hospital infrastructure and extend medical services to citizens in
both urban and rural areas, without specifying timelines or funding
allocations.

Infrastructure,
a persistent shortfall in successive Iraqi governments, drew pointed language
from the prime minister, who said the services file “will no longer remain
hostage to deferred promises.” Projects targeting electricity, water,
roads, bridges, and housing networks were referenced as priorities, again
without detailed implementation schedules.

Governance and
Foreign Relations

Al-Zaidi
described his administration as “a government of institutions, law, and
justice, open to all, listening to the citizen,” and said it would work to
consolidate security, protect Iraqi sovereignty, and develop Arab, regional,
and international relations based on mutual respect and shared interests.

He also
expressed gratitude to the Supreme Religious Authority, Ayatollah Ali
al-Sistani, the most influential Shia cleric in Iraq, whose endorsements have
historically shaped the country’s political landscape, for “wise positions
and a role in preserving social peace,” and acknowledged Iraq’s various
religious and national communities.