Pakistan
FM Qureshi meets Iraqi Defence, Interior ministers
Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday met Iraq’s Minister of Defence his Excellency Jumaa Inad Saadoun Khattab and Minister of Interior Othman Ali Farhood Moshir Al-Ghanimi in Baghdad.
According to the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Recalling the visit of Pakistan’s Minister for Defence Production to Iraq in January 2021, the Iraqi side expressed satisfaction at frequent interactions at the Ministerial level, which augured well for future bilateral defence ties of Pakistan and Iraq.
The two Ministers noted with contentment the steady growth in bilateral defence relations. Foreign Minister Qureshi said that this was reflected aptly by the participation of Iraqi Special Forces Paratroopers in the Pakistan National Day Parade on 23 March 2021.
The Ministers reviewed the progress made on various aspects of defence collaboration between the two countries. The Defence Minister fondly recalled his visit to Islamabad in February 2021 and appreciated the professionalism of Pakistan’s Armed Forces and the technological advancements made by the country in Defence Production.
Foreign Minister Qureshi reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to further deepen and diversify bilateral cooperation in the fields of defence and defence production.
The two Ministers agreed to continue exchanging senior-level delegations to sustain the positive momentum in the growing defence relationship between the two countries.
During the meeting with the Iraqi Interior Minister, the Pakistani FM acknowledged the sacrifices made by Iraq in its successful fight against terrorism.
He highlighted the professional expertise and commitment of Pakistan’s armed forces and law enforcement agencies in dealing effectively with the challenge of terrorism. He added that the two countries could benefit from cooperation in countering terrorism, in particular in sharing of expertise and intelligence and training and capacity building of their law enforcement agencies.
FM Qureshi underscored strong religious and cultural affinities between the peoples of the two countries. He added that these bonds also provided significant opportunities for deeper bilateral cooperation in diverse areas.
In this regard, the Foreign Minister emphasized the need to enhance people to people linkages, in particular by promoting religious tourism between the two countries. He added that facilitation of visas and improved services to Pakistani Zaireen could lead to enhanced bilateral trade, commerce and investment.
Agreeing with the Foreign Minister, the Iraqi Interior Minister assured him of cooperation. He also highlighted the need to enhance cooperation between the two countries in countering narcotics and drug control.
The two Ministers agreed on the need to exchange delegations to enhance cooperation in security matters, counter-narcotics and visa facilitation.
The Foreign Minister will be concluding his three-day visit to Iraq today (Sunday).
The visit is being undertaken at the invitation of his Iraqi counterpart, Dr Fuad Hussein.