Baghdad: President of the Republic Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid stressed Iraq’s keenness to strengthen its relations with the United Kingdom. A presidential statement said: “The President of the Republic received, today, Thursday, at al-Salam Palace in Baghdad, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom, Stephen Charles Hitchen, on the occasion of the end of his tenure.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, during the meeting, the President of the Republic emphasized Iraq’s keenness to enhance its relations with the United Kingdom and expressed a desire to expand the horizons of constructive cooperation to serve the common interests of the Iraqi and British peoples.

Rashid also praised the role of Ambassador Hitchen in developing bilateral relations, wishing him success in his upcoming tasks. The British Ambassador, for his part, expressed his happiness to have worked in Iraq, acknowledging the security stability and development observed in Iraq in the service and urban fields. He also recognized Iraq’s efforts at the regional and international levels in consolidating peace in the region.