The head of the State of Law coalition, Nuri al-Maliki, confirmed Iraq's keenness to strengthen its relations with Turkey.
A statement from his media office stated, "Al-Maliki received in his office this evening, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his accompanying delegation. At the beginning of the meeting, the two sides reviewed issues of common concern, as well as developments in the political and security situation in the regional and international arenas."
The head of the State of Law Coalition affirmed, according to the statement, Iraq's keenness to strengthen its relations with the Republic of Turkey in various fields, "noting that" what was agreed upon between government officials and the guest delegation is based on an agreement within the State Administration Coalition and the coordination framework, and we support relations and strengthening them with neighboring countries, especially with Turkey.
The two sides agreed, according to the statement, on the importance of continuing talks and exchanging visits between officials of both countries, in order to build a major strategic alliance in various fields, especially investment, economy, energy, and cooperation in the field of combating terrorism.
Al-Maliki continued: "We cherish our relations with Turkey, and we have made good strides in the field of bilateral relations, and this prompts cooperation, understanding and consensus on important and common files, calling for an increase in water releases from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers," noting that " "Iraq suffers from a severe shortage of water, although it has begun to use modern methods to rationalize water consumption, and to rely on groundwater to irrigate crops."
Nuri al-Maliki received, through the ambassador, the greetings of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, expressing Turkey's readiness to support Iraq in various fields, stressing the serious approach and keenness to solve the outstanding problems between the two countries.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency