BAGHDAD — Many Iraqi leaders met Wednesday and Thursday to discuss important national issues at the National Dialogue Conference in Baghdad ahead of an Aug. 28 regional conference involving neighboring countries and France.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi sponsored the National Dialogue Conference, with the participation of political forces, popular organizations, clan leaders, leaders of the October popular protests and representatives of some armed factions, to discuss various domestic issues, the foremost of which is creating the appropriate atmosphere for the Oct. 10 elections.

Kadhimi urged all national forces, popular forces, groups who boycotted the previous elections and spiritual leaders to urge people to participate in the upcoming October elections. 

He told the conference, “Your ideas and proposals are among my personal beliefs, and I will make every effort to ensure that the recommendations of this conference are followed in the government's performance, and I urge all of you to cooperate together as people of one nation to rid our country of conflict, difference, deterioration, doubts and mistrust and to ensure prosperity and development, strength and mutual trust.”