Canada Reaffirms Support for Iraq's State Monopoly on Weapons
Iraq's foreign minister and his new Canadian counterpart pledged deeper bilateral cooperation in a phone call Friday.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein received a phone call Friday from his newly appointed Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand, during which Ottawa reaffirmed its full support for Baghdad's policy of keeping weapons exclusively in the hands of the state.
According to an official statement from Iraq's foreign ministry issued Friday, the call was held to discuss bilateral relations and explore ways to expand strategic cooperation between the two countries.
Anand expressed her government's desire to improve relations and broaden two-way coordination across various fields, the statement said. She also congratulated Hussein on formally assuming his post as foreign minister after winning parliament's confidence. Hussein, for his part, welcomed the appointment of a new Canadian ambassador to Iraq.
Anand stressed that the Canadian government offers full and official support for the policies and decisions of the Iraqi government aimed at ensuring that weapons remain solely under the control of the state, and she reaffirmed Ottawa's commitment to continued cooperation and support in this area.
Hussein thanked Ottawa for the strong assistance Canada has provided Iraq at various stages in the past. The Canadian minister, in turn, expressed her pleasure that Canada will host an official match of Iraq's national football team on Canadian soil, a step she said would undoubtedly strengthen the close, friendly bond between the two peoples.
Hussein also extended a formal invitation to Anand to make an official visit to Iraq aimed at further strengthening political and diplomatic dialogue between the two countries.