Ukraine’s Kuleba meets with Iraqi counterpart to discuss grain export, peace formula
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba of Ukraine arrived in Iraq on April 17. This is the first visit of the Ukrainian top diplomat to the country since 2012.
That’s according to a report by MFA Ukraine, seen by Ukrinform.
The visit is taking place in the context of the implementation of the agreements reached during the phone call between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister of Iraq Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani on April 10.
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy held talks in Baghdad with the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein of Iraq.
"Ukraine and Iraq are united by a long history of friendship and mutual respect. At one time, Ukrainian servicemen helped normalize the situation on Iraqi territory. Currently, the government of Iraq supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine against the background of the full-scale invasion by Russia," Kuleba said.
"The phone calls of the leaders of our states last week gave a significant impetus to the reactivation of bilateral political dialogue. And today I arrived in Baghdad to open the door for new opportunities in bilateral relations between Ukraine and Iraq, to fill our relations with a new practical meaning," added the head of Ukrainian diplomacy.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the minister had told his Iraqi colleague about the efforts undertaken by the Ukrainian Defense Forces to repel Russian aggression and liberate the captured territories.
He paid special attention to President Volodymyr Zelensky's Peace Formula for the establishment of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
The two top diplomats separately discussed the export of Ukrainian grain.
The ministers agreed to hold consultations at the level of several ministries in the near future in order to intensify cooperation in the fields of trade, education, and digitalization.
The interlocutors agreed to hold political consultations of the ministries of foreign affairs, as well as the fifth meeting of the intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, scientific, and technical cooperation. The previous meeting was held in 2012.
Dmytro Kuleba invited Fuad Huseyn to pay a visit to Ukraine.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky last week discussed with the prime minister of Iraq the intensification of interstate cooperation and the Ukrainian peace formula.
Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine