Baghdad signs five different agreements with Beijing
They reviewed the relations between the two countries and discussed some topics, especially the need to coordinate and unify efforts in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) insurgents.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – The Prime Minister of Iraq, Haidar al-Abadi, arrived in Beijing on Tuesday and met with the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, to sign five agreements with China.
In the meeting, they reviewed the relations between the two countries and discussed some topics, especially the need to coordinate and unify efforts in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) insurgents. Both agreed that IS is a threat to the entire world.
Jinping stated that, "The visit came at the right time and will help the strategic cooperation and aid our aim to establish strategic relations with Iraq," adding that, "we support your efforts to preserve Iraq's sovereignty and defend its territorial integrity and support your measures to preserve the security and stability of Iraq and the response to terrorism that we reject in all its forms, especially Daesh [IS].”
"China is keen to expand its military and defense cooperation, training and building of the Iraqi military capabilities and the exchange of information and military industries," Jinping continued, "we are ready to respond to support Iraq in these areas, as well as economic cooperation and the revival of the Silk Road and further contribute to the reconstruction of Iraq in the construction and oil and energy services, telecommunications and finance areas, and training Iraqi youth and academics."
Jinping also noted that, "Our position is clear in respect of Iraqi sovereignty and taking the consent of the Iraqi government in the fight against terrorism.”
Abadi explained the interest of the Iraqi Federal government to increase cooperation with China, and "to reach agreements to strengthen our relations and increase trade with China, and we welcome the expansion of investment by Chinese companies." He went further, "We need the cooperation and support of China in the areas of arming and training to counter the threat of Daesh and terrorism, which threatens everyone, calling for the unification of efforts against Daesh and extremist ideology."
Abadi called on creating an Iraqi-Chinese committee between both countries to foster ties and arrange further meetings between both sides in the future.
During his visit, Abadi also met with the Chairman of the National People's Congress, Zhang Dejiang, on Tuesday. After the meeting, "five agreements and memoranda of understanding in the economic, technological, military, diplomatic and energy fields" were signed between both countries.
According to the Iraqi Prime Minister's Media Office, "The first memorandum of understanding included: participation to build the economic belt of the Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road for the twenty-first century, and the second for economic and technological cooperation between the two countries, and the third was signing of the framework agreement on cooperation in the field of energy, and the fourth was in the field of military cooperation between the two countries, and the fifth was signing of the agreement on the mutual visa exemption for diplomatic passports."