Talabani calls for active Egyptian presence in Iraq

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on Thursday called for an active Egyptian presence in Iraq and further cooperation between the two “brotherly” countries, according to a presidential release. “Iraq needs an active Egyptian presence and Egyptian businessmen and companies must be attracted to contribute to the re-building campaign and investment march in Iraq,’ Talabani was quoted in the release after receiving the new Egyptian ambassador in Baghdad, Sherif Kamal al-Din Shahin. “Our objective from a strategic alliance with Egypt is to develop cooperation in the political, diplomatic, economic, energy, tourist and other fields,” said the Iraqi president in the release received by IraqiNews.com news agency. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had appointed Shahin as a new ambassador to Iraq, a post that remained vacant for four years after Egyptian charge d’affaires Ihab al-Sherif was kidnapped and slain in Baghdad in 2005. For his part, Shahin said that Egypt is determined on deepening friendly ties and invigorating cooperation with Iraq. He praised Talabani’s role and “precious efforts that would create solid grounds for the building of Iraq’s relations with all countries of the world, particularly Egypt”. AmR (S) 1