Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Receives Dutch Foreign Minister

 
On Tuesday, February 6, 2024, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mr. Fuad Hussein received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Ms. Hanke Bruins Slot, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Baghdad.
During the press conference, the Minister stressed the depth of bilateral relations between Iraq and the Netherlands, which dates back to 1929, indicating that the ties between the two countries are not only limited to the commercial and economic side, but are also social due to the presence of a large number of the Iraqi community in the Netherlands that plays an important role in the political and social life of Dutch society.
The Minister stated that during the meeting, they discussed strengthening of the relationship between both countries, especially in the economic side, due to the significance of Dutch companies in the fields of industry, energy and agriculture for Iraq, especially during the tenure of Prime Minister Mr. Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, which seeks to provide services and rebuild the Iraqi economy, and the government of the Netherlands can play an important role in this regard.
Minister Hussein touched on military and security relations, praising the Netherlands’ significant role in assisting Iraq in the war against Deash, extending his thanks for its continued support for Iraqi forces in their war against terrorism.
The two sides discussed the security situation in the region and stressed the need to continue supporting the Palestinian people, in addition to the necessity of stopping the war on Gaza, and the importance to continue delivering humanitarian aid, stressing that the Netherlands has an important role as a member of the European Union and NATO, and through which it can change the policies of some parties in the region.
Minister Hussein, expressed concerns over the continued violence in the region and its threat at regional and international levels, as well as the danger of the Iranian and American attacks on Iraqi territory, stressing Iraq’s appreciation to the Dutch government, which had a clear stance on these attacks.
On the other hand, the Minister touched on the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister to the Netherlands, where there will be an intensive programme, and political and economic conversations.
On her part, the Dutch Foreign Minister underscored Iraq’s fundamental and significant role in the region and her country’s keenness to promote relations between the two countries in various fields, emphasizing the positive role of about 60,000 Iraqi existing in Netherlands, representing a bridge on converging of views between the two countries.
Minister Slot, indicated that they discussed regional developments and the recent attacks in Iraq and Syria, expressing her denunciation, and stated that her country supports Iraq’s efforts to achieve stability in the region, praising the holding of the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership in order to support and develop social and economic integration, as well as Iraq’s role in converging of views between Saudi Arabia and Iran, indicating that they discussed situation in Gaza, affirmed their rejection for the attacks on civilians, stressing that the Netherlands provided aid worth 55 million euros to the Palestinian people.