Minister of Foreign Affairs Meets President of the Italian Parliament and Delivers Invitation to Visit Iraq from his Iraqi Counterpart

On 3 May 2012, Foreign Minister, H.E. Mr. Fuad Hussein met with the Italian President of the Parliament, Mr. Roberto Fico in the Italian capital, Rome.

The meeting emphasized the importance of advancing bilateral relations in a way that achieves the interests of both countries.

The Minister expressed Iraq’s aspiration to advance cooperation frameworks with Italy in various fields in light of the distinguished relations between the two countries.
The Minister invited the President of Parliament to visit Iraq on behalf of his Iraqi Counterpart, H.E. Mr. Muhammad al-Halbousi.

He also briefed Mr. Fico on the latest developments in Iraq, including the security situation, explaining that it is improving compared to past periods. The Minister further discussed a number of sensitive issues including ISIS families and pockets of terrorism.
H.E. pointed out that the government is exerting tireless efforts to ensure the return of the displaced persons and to create a safe environment in their areas of residence.

Regarding the political issues, the Minister stated that there is a governmental effort to prepare for early elections in October this year, pointing out to the importance of the presence of observers from the European Union to monitor the electoral process.

He stressed the importance of holding meetings of the joint Iraqi-Italian committee, and activating the memorandum of understanding on political consultations.
He also touched on the repercussions of Covid-19 pandemic,the health and economic challenges it imposed, and the improvement in the global scene after the discovery of the vaccines which, in turn, led to recovery in oil prices.

The two sides discussed the challenges of regional security and its implications on the situation in Iraq, and the Minister called for the need to adopt the principle of dialogue in resolving differences in order to resolve crises in the region.
He noted that the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis represented a deep human message of solidarity, and affirmed the importance of investing in it and rebuilding the historic city of Ur and turning places in it into centers for attracting religious tourism.