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ISLAMABAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi is expected to visit Islamabad in the coming days to discuss ways of enhancing bilateral cooperation between the two countries, Pakistan’s top diplomat in Baghdad told a Middle Eastern publication on Saturday.
Last month, Iraq’s foreign minister Dr. Fuad Hussein visited the South Asian state and held a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
During their deliberations, the two officials agreed to convene an “early” meeting of the Pakistan-Iraq Joint Ministerial Commission.
“Al-Kadhimi’s visit to Pakistan in the next few days aims to strengthen bilateral relations,” Pakistan’s Ambassador in Baghdad Ahmed Amjad Ali said during his interview with Iraq’s state-owned Al-Sabah newspaper. “He will also sign memoranda of understanding in the fields of culture and trade between the two countries.”
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s special assistant on the Middle East Tahir Ashrafi told Arab News on Sunday the Iraqi prime minister’s visit to Islamabad was expected soon, though the two sides were still trying to work out the dates.
The Pakistani ambassador also told the Iraqi newspaper that the two countries had enjoyed longstanding cooperation in various areas, including the fields of defense and security.
“Students and employees of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense regularly attend the army’s training courses in Pakistan,” he said. “In addition to that, many Iraqi diplomats receive diplomatic training at the Pakistan Foreign Services Academy.”
Ali said the volume of the annual bilateral trade between Iraq and Pakistan was nearly $64 million, though both countries wanted to further consolidate their trade ties.
“Iraq and Pakistan are currently in the process of discussing mutual cooperation in the fields of agriculture, health and security,” he continued. “Pakistan can also help with the construction of destroyed buildings and power infrastructure in Iraq.”
The Pakistani envoy noted about 300,000 pilgrims from Pakistan annually traveled to Iraq to visit holy shrines.
During the Iraqi foreign minister’s visit to Islamabad, the two countries also discussed people-to-people contact and new ways of��facilitating��pilgrims from Pakistan.
According to an official Pakistani statement, Foreign Minister Qureshi requested for “further facilitation in visas and travel” for people interested in visiting Iraq.
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