Iraq PM tells Chaldean Patriarch Christian return is a government priority

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Ali al-Zaydi met Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Mar Paulus III Nuna and Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda of the Erbil Chaldean Archdiocese in Baghdad, saying facilitating the return of Christian families who left Iraq in recent years is a priority in the government's program. Al-Zaydi said Christian families will be eligible for plots under the government's one-million-housing-land project and that the administration is prepared to provide comprehensive support for returnees. He described Iraq's ethnic and religious diversity as a core element of its strength and said Christians are among the principal partners in building the state. The prime minister called on Iraqi Christian businesspeople abroad to return and invest, particularly in health and education, pledging that necessary facilities would be offered for such investments. Patriarch Nuna said the government's steps carry an important reassurance message to Iraqis abroad and that Christian businesspeople are ready to contribute actively to the country's development.