Ukraine, Iraq agree to open a new page of bilateral relations - Dmytro Kuleba
On April 17, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba arrived in Iraq for a visit. This is the first visit of the Ukrainian Foreign Minister to Iraq since 2012.
This is stated in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.
According to the report, the visit takes place in the context of the implementation of the agreements reached during a telephone conversation between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister of Iraq Mohammad Shia al-Sudani on April 10.
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy held talks in Baghdad with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein.
"Ukraine and Iraq have a long history of friendship and mutual respect. At one time, Ukrainian servicemen helped to normalize the situation on Iraqi territory. Today, the Iraqi government supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine against the backdrop of Russia's full-scale invasion," Kuleba said.
"Last week's telephone conversation between the leaders of our countries gave a significant impetus to the intensification of bilateral political dialogue. And today I arrived in Baghdad to open the door to new opportunities in bilateral relations between Ukraine and Iraq, to fill our relations with new practical content," the head of Ukrainian diplomacy added.
The Ministry informed that the minister told his Iraqi counterpart about the efforts of the Ukrainian defense forces to repel Russian aggression and liberate the occupied territories.
He paid special attention to President Volodymyr Zelensky's Peace Formula to establish a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
The foreign ministers also discussed the export of Ukrainian grain.
The ministers agreed to hold consultations at the level of a number of ministries of Ukraine and Iraq in the near future to intensify cooperation in the areas of trade, education and digitalization.
The interlocutors also 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 of the commission took place in 2012.
Dmytro Kuleba invited Fouad Hussein to visit Ukraine.
As Ukrinform reported, earlier last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed with the Iraqi Prime Minister the intensification of interstate cooperation and the Ukrainian formula for peace.