BAGHDAD, Iraq: The Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was warmly received by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq His Excellency Mustafa Al-Kadhimi in Baghdad on Saturday.
The Foreign Minister conveyed sincere and warm greetings from Prime Minister Imran Khan to the Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, and expressed Pakistan’s full support for a secure and prosperous Iraq.
The Iraqi prime minister reciprocated the gesture and thanked Pakistan for its support.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi appreciated the resilience of the Iraqi people in facing serious challenges to peace and security.
Paying tribute to the sacrifices rendered by the Iraqi people in the fight against terrorism, he said the two Countries could benefit from sharing experience and expertise in this area.
Qureshi expressed confidence that with able leadership, unyielding efforts and sincere friends, Iraq will overcome any challenge to emerge stronger and more prosperous in future.
The foreign minister stressed that the purpose of his visit was to translate Pakistan’s existing friendly relationship with Iraq into a collaborative and mutually beneficial partnership across diverse fields.
In this regard, he briefed the Iraqi prime minister on Pakistan’s focus on building connectivity and economic diplomacy.
The foreign minister identified areas such as tourism, manpower export, infrastructure development, investment and food security, in which the two Countries could significantly benefit from enhanced cooperation.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi also expressed Pakistan’s desire to meet its energy requirements with oil from Iraq. He laid special emphasis on the need to further strengthen people to people linkages, in particular facilitating thousands of Pakistani Zaireen who visit Iraq every year.
Agreeing to the potential of cooperation between the two countries, the Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi expressed Iraq’s interest in cooperation in health sector, as well as the possibility of utilizing Pakistan’s health facilities for Iraqi people.
The Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi urged the foreign ministers of both Countries to explore tangible collaboration in this field.
The foreign minister stressed the importance of high-level visits between the two countries to build and carry forward the positive momentum in the relationship. He proposed that the two Countries should develop an overarching framework of political consultations and bilateral cooperation at the foreign ministers level to provide impetus to deepening and strengthening mutually beneficial partnership. The Iraqi prime minister welcomed the idea in principle.
Discussing regional and global issues of mutual interest, the foreign minister apprised the Prime Minister of the deteriorating situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and stressed the need to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.
Qureshi also briefed Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi on Pakistan’s efforts to support peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan, in particular the Afghan peace process, as well as Pakistan’s principled position on the issue of Palestine.
The Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi thanked the Iraqi prime minister for accepting the invitation by Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit Pakistan. He hoped that the visit will take place at the earliest convenience.
