President Talabani calls for developing Iraq’s relations with European countries

Iraq-EU BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on Monday called to exert joint and continued efforts to develop Iraq’s relations with European countries, according to a presidential statement. This came during Talabani’s meeting with the accredited Turkish and European Union countries’ ambassadors in Iraq in al-Salam presidential palace in Baghdad. “The meeting was held in the presence of Iraqi Deputy Premier Barham Salih, head of foreign relations committee in the Iraqi Parliament Sheikh Humam Hamudi, head of presidential divan Nasser al-Aani, head of general relations Saadi Pera, head of PUK’s relations office in London Shanaz Ibrahim and a number of governmental officials,” said the statement received by IraqiNews.com news agency. “In the meeting, which was attended by the previous American ambassador in Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad, President Talabani highlighted the political process in Iraq, current challenges, economic and security successes, and the efforts to solve all the suspended issues,” it said. “ President Talabani spoke on the necessity of President Gul’s visit to Iraq and praised its positive results. He emphasized the necessity of spending joint and continuous efforts to develop Iraq’s relations with the European countries.” President Talabani also spoke on the Arab Summit in Doha, where he mentioned that PM al-Maliki is heading the Iraqi delegation to the meetings of the Arab League annual summit and the Arab Latin summit. “For their part, the ambassadors renewed their countries’ support of the political process in Iraq. They emphasized the necessity of the Iraqi steps toward developing and expanding its relations with the world’s countries in all fields. They renewed their countries‘ will to strengthen the bilateral relations with Iraq in the political, economic, security, trade, oil and cultural fields,” the statement said. The ambassadors praised President Talabani’s efforts to strengthen national unity and protect Iraq’s achievements in all the fields. Following the meeting, President Talabani held a lunch banquet in the ambassadors’ honor. SH (S)/SR 1