Riyadh: The Foreign Minister of Iraq, Fuad Hussein, alongside his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, reiterated their commitment to bolstering Iraq's security and stability, while also emphasizing the importance of reinforcing the country's national institutions. This affirmation came during a meeting in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, attended by key Iraqi officials including National Security Advisor Qasim al-Aboudi and the head of the National Intelligence Service, Hamid al-Shatri.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement detailing the discussions held during the official visit. Prince Faisal began the meeting by expressing a warm welcome to Minister Fuad Hussein and his delegation, highlighting the strong historical and fraternal ties between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. He stressed the Kingdom's eagerness to continue developing bilateral cooperation across various sectors to benefit both nations and their citizens.
Fuad Hussein conveyed greetings from Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zubaidi and the new Iraqi government to Saudi leadership, expressing gratitude for the hospitality received. He commended the invitation and the constructive dialogue that took place, reflecting a mutual interest in expanding bilateral relations to greater extents.
Prince Faisal emphasized that Iraq's security is a crucial component of regional stability and underscored the necessity of maintaining the cooperative relationship between the two nations. He expressed Saudi Arabia's desire to enhance collaboration and joint coordination with Iraq, to support regional security and stability.
Fuad Hussein highlighted Iraq's intent to maintain balanced and positive relations with neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia, while acknowledging the recent conflicts' impact on the region. He noted that Iraq has been significantly affected by these conflicts, including attempts to undermine its relationships with allied nations.
The discussions also covered key areas of bilateral relations, such as strengthening economic and investment cooperation, enhancing partnerships in the energy sector, and increasing political and security coordination to further regional stability, benefiting the peoples of the region.
At the meeting's conclusion, Prince Faisal assured continued support for Iraq's new government, emphasizing the importance of fortifying the bilateral partnership for mutual benefit. A joint press statement was released, reinforcing the commitment to strengthening ties across various fields and maintaining ongoing consultations on regional and international issues.
Both parties reiterated their respect for state sovereignty and commitment to the principles of good neighborliness, non-interference in internal affairs, and refusal to use any country's territory or airspace for actions that compromise the security of other nations. Furthermore, Iraq reaffirmed its stance against allowing its territory or airspace to be used for attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, GCC countries, or any other regional nation, while underscoring the need to bolster Iraq's security and stability for the broader regional benefit.