Saudi Arabia, Iraq Agree to Coordinate Stances on Regional, Int’l Affairs

Gulf

March 26th, 6:25am

Asharq Al-Awsat

King Salman holds a virtual meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Kadhimi. (SPA)

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz held a virtual meeting on Thursday with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. The meeting reflects the deep bonds that tie Saudi Arabia and Iraq. A closing statement after the talks underscored these historic ties and hailed their development in recent years. It also underlined the role played by the Saudi-Iraqi Coordination Council in further strengthening them. The two sides stressed the importance of expanding bilateral cooperation and bolstering it in various fields, especially politics, security, trade, investment and tourism. Saudi Arabia hailed the Kadhimi government’s efforts in achieving stability and development in Iraq. Baghdad, for its part, lauded the initiatives Saudi Arabia has offered it in combating the coronavirus pandemic. On regional developments, both sides agreed to deepen cooperation and coordination in issues of common interest and in a manner that boosts regional security and stability. They stressed the need to steer the region clear of tensions and to pursue factors that consolidate security and stability. In this regard, Kadhimi expressed Iraq’s support for Saudi Arabia’s new initiative to resolve the crisis in Yemen. King Salman invited the premier to visit Saudi Arabia soon to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, for talks aimed further strengthening ties between the Kingdom and Iraq.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2882491/saudi-arabia-iraq-agree-coordinate-stances-regional-int%E2%80%99l-affairs