Iraqi Foreign Minister Praises Russia's Support in Fighting Terrorism
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Jaafari has expressed gratitude for Russia’s support in the counter-terrorism fight, and called on Moscow to assist Baghdad in the reconstruction of Iraq's cities, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, Jaafari met with the Russian Ambassador to Iraq Maksim Maksimov to discuss the bilateral relationship and the situation in the region.
"The minister thanked Russia and highly appreciated the position, expressed in support of Iraq in its fight against the Daesh (also known as ISIL or ISIS) terrorist group and in the international arena," the statement said, stressing the necessity of Moscow's assistance to rebuild the damaged Iraqi infrastructure.
In turn, Maksimov congratulated Iraq on the victory over Daesh in the city of Mosul, which had been under the group's control for more than three years. The ambassador also informed Jaafari about the readiness of Russian companies to participate in Iraq’s reconstruction and to invest in the country, Sputnik reported.
Daesh took over Mosul in June 2014. The operation aimed at liberating the city from terrorists started in October 2016. The eastern part of the city was rid of terrorists by Iraqi and US-led coalition forces in late January.
In February, the Iraqi forces began an operation aimed at liberating western Mosul from Daesh. In early July, the Iraqi army regained control over the rest of the city, with Prime Minister Haider Abadi officially declaring Mosul’s liberation from the terrorists.