Iraqi FM presides at Iraqi-European Cooperation Council

 Iraqi FM presides at Iraqi-European Cooperation Council

The Iraqi Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, and other Iraqi and European officials during the third session of the Iraqi-European Cooperation Council in Brussels. Photo: Iraqi Foreign Ministry

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, presided over the third session of the Iraqi-European Cooperation Council in the Belgian capital, Brussels, according to a statement issued by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

The session was held with the participation of the undersecretaries of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, Transport and Environment, Iraqi ambassadors to the European Union and to Germany, representatives of the Ministries of Trade, Oil and Finance, representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), and other Iraqi officials, the statement mentioned.

Foreign Ministers of Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Greece and Denmark, the Commissioner for Migration in the European Union and other European officials, the statement explained.

The meeting addressed issues of common interest, ways to develop trade and economic cooperation, and to benefit from the capabilities of both sides, especially cooperation in the field of energy, and the support the European Union can provide to Iraq in developing the infrastructure of the oil and gas sector, the statement clarified.

Both sides also discussed topics related to financial cooperation, environment and migration, the statement illustrated.

Borrell and the European foreign ministers confirmed their support for Iraq and its government in its endeavor to implement its governmental program in combating corruption and building a democratic state in which human rights principles prevail, the statement elaborated.

The European side also praised the role played by Iraq in the region as a factor of stability, especially its role in the Saudi-Iranian agreement.

Additionally, during the meeting, the participating parties announced the formation of a sub-committee specialized in development cooperation between Iraq and the European Union.