Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has met with Iraqi parliament speaker Mohamed Halbousi in Cairo, where Shoukry expressed Egypt's keenness to intensify cooperation with Iraq, a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry read. Shoukry said that Egypt wishes to cooperate with Iraq in all fields according to the needs of the brotherly country. Shoukry also congratulated Halbousi for "electing a new Iraqi president as well as tasking the new prime minister with forming a new cabinet in a democratic and transparent atmosphere that reflects the aspirations of the Iraqi people for a more secure, stable and prosperous country." On Tuesday, Iraq's parliament elected veteran Kurdish politician Barham Salih as president after months of political deadlock, with 219 of its 329 lawmakers voting in favour. Shoukry expressed to Halbousi "the importance of the depth and strength of Egyptian-Iraqi relations, which are reinforced by the bonds of social interaction between the two countries," adding that Egypt is keen to push bilateral relations into new and diverse horizons in various political, economic, commercial and cultural fields. During the meeting, Shoukry also stressed Egypt's support of Iraq's unity and sovereignty over all its territories. "Egypt is confident that Iraqi national institutions are capable of overcoming all obstacles," the statement read. Halbousi expressed appreciation for the brotherly ties between the two countries and for Egypt's support of Iraq on all levels. Halbousi also stressed Iraq's keenness to strengthen bilateral cooperation frameworks with Egypt in various fields during the coming period. The two officials also touched on a number of Arab and regional issues of mutual concern and agreed on the need to enhance coordination to face the challenges facing the region and achieve peace and stability.
