Shafaq News/ The Iraqi Foreign Minister , Mohammed Ali al-Hakim has held talks with his Russian counterpart ,Sergei Lavrov who is visiting Baghdad.

Hakim said at a joint press conference with Lavrov, "We held important joint talks, including bilateral relations and discussed political and regional issues, prospects of economic cooperation and investment for reconstruction and infrastructure projects, exchanged views on the importance of increasing trade exchange between the two countries and enhance investment in energy, defense and oil fields.”

Hakim added, "We focused on the cultural relationship and the students in Russian universities, stressed the unity of Syria and the unity of the track there and focused on the return of Syria to the Arab League, as well as   Astana course as Iraq looks forward to participate in the next meeting, where they discussed fight against terrorism, especially those in Idlib Syria”.

For his part, Lavrov said, "We must adhere to and implement the decisions taken at the eighth meeting of the Russian-Iraqi committee last April in Baghdad and noted the successful implementation of agreements , contracts and the supply of military equipment to the Iraqi side, as proposed."

"We discussed the importance of strengthening cultural, educational and humanitarian cooperation," adding,”There are currently 3,000 Iraqi students and more than 100 Iraqi diplomats trained in special courses at the Russian Foreign Ministry's diplomatic academy. There will be 150 Iraqi diplomats next year."

"We also discussed the importance of strengthening industrial cooperation in the field of combating terrorism at the industrial level or at Baghdad Center for Information Exchange, which was established in 2015 that includes Iraq, Russia, Syria and Iran," he said.

"We discussed the Syrian issue deeply and stressed the importance of continuing fight against terrorism until all continuing terrorists are defeated in some areas. We also stressed the importance of launching an effective political process within the framework of the Constitutional Committee," he said.

"With regard to the reduction of escalation in the Gulf, we have a united position that it is necessary to consolidate initiatives that bring together the forces of the region and the players rather than the initiatives that divide them."