Senate president, Iraq parliament speaker talk cooperation

AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez on Tuesday reaffirmed Jordan's interest in enhancing strategic relations with Iraq and providing all forms of support for Iraq to rebuild the country, restore security and face various challenges.

Receiving an Iraqi delegation of lawmakers headed by Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al Halboosi, Fayez said that Jordan will stand by Iraq in the war against terrorism, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He also expressed pride in the "brotherly, deep-rooted, historical and strategic relations" with Iraq, which have set a model for joint Arab action in various fields.

Fayez also said that Jordan believes that "Iraq's security and stability is a Jordanian interest", where Jordanians reject interference in Iraq's affairs.

He stressed the importance of a successful political process in Iraq based on understanding and dialogue.

Fayez expressed hope for increased cooperation between Jordan and Iraq in the political, economic and investment fields through activating bilateral agreements and removing trade barriers.

He said that the trilateral Jordanian-Iraqi-Egyptian meetings constitute an "advanced" step to enhance the countries’ partnerships in various fields and reflect a “genuine will” to increase cooperation and achieve strategic integration.

Halboosi called for concerted efforts to enhance relations, referring to the Kingdom's support to his country. 

He also referred to the several issues of mutual interest between Amman and Baghdad, in addition to the common challenges, mainly at the economic level, which require taking bilateral steps on the ground.