Iraqi parliament speaker discusses Syria, joint cooperation in Egypt

BAGHDAD

Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi held talks in Cairo on Sunday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on ways of boosting bilateral relations.

A statement by al-Halbousi’s office said the two sides discussed the importance of working to enhance the prospects of strategic cooperation.

Iraq “looks forward to more cooperation between the two brotherly countries, in addition to the importance of activating the tripartite cooperation mechanism between Iraq, Egypt, and Jordan,” the statement said.

The Egyptian leader, for his part, reiterated his country’s readiness “to cooperate with Iraq in all fields,” it added.

He pointed to the important role played by the Egyptian and Iraqi parliaments in strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

Talks between the two sides also touched on the political situation in the region as well as a host of regional issues, including the situation in Syria, the statement said.

The Iraqi parliament speaker’s visit to Egypt came one day after Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad visited Cairo for the first time in more than a decade.

The Syrian regime exchanged official visits with several Arab countries in recent years amid reports about a possible resumption of Syria’s membership in the Cairo-based Arab League.

*Ikram Kouachi in Ankara contributed to this report