Baghdad: Speaker of Parliament Mahmoud al-Mashhadani affirmed today that Iraq is confidently moving towards a new phase of reconstruction, development, and firmly established national sovereignty. The Speaker’s Media Office stated in a press release that Al-Mashhadani received Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his accompanying delegation, in the presence of the Chairman of the Parliamentary Integrity Committee, Ziad al-Janabi.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, during the meeting, they discussed the bilateral and historical relations between Iraq and Turkey, and ways to enhance political, economic, and security cooperation, in order to consolidate regional stability and serve the best interests of the two friendly nations.

Al-Mashhadani emphasized Iraq’s determined progress towards construction and development, urging the building of a balanced strategic partnership based on mutual respect. He highlighted the importance of enhancing cooperation in investment and economic fields, particularly involving Turkish companies in the development highway project and other significant projects within Iraq.

The discussion also addressed the water issue, with Al-Mashhadani asserting that Iraq will not relinquish its legitimate water rights. He called for adopting dialogue and mutual understanding to ensure an increased water share and achieve equitable and sustainable management of shared water resources, thereby strengthening regional stability and deepening cooperation between Baghdad and Ankara.