Iraq, Netherlands discuss ties, security cooperation

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (R) and Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot attend a joint press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 6, 2024. Iraqi senior officials exchanged views Tuesday with visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot on bilateral relations and security cooperation. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)

BAGHDAD, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi senior officials exchanged views Tuesday with visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot on bilateral relations and security cooperation.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani met with Slot and her accompanying delegation in his office, where he stressed the importance of enhancing bilateral relations at various levels and fields, a statement by his media office said.

Al-Sudani said that the Iraqi government is keen to continue cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) mission in Iraq, as the Netherlands is scheduled to assume its presidency in mid-May.

Al-Sudani stressed the need to maintain direct communication with the NATO mission in conjunction with the start of the dialogue between Iraq and the U.S.-led international coalition, which is aimed at ending the coalition's task of helping Iraq fight the terrorist Islamic State (IS) group.

Al-Sudani said that Iraq is also keen to continue discussion and coordination with NATO to decide on the training and advising of the Iraqi security forces, especially in light of a clear improvement in Iraqi armed forces' capabilities to defeat IS remnants, which no longer pose a threat to Iraq, according to the statement.

For her part, the Dutch foreign minister expressed her support for continuing the dialogue between Iraq and the international coalition to end the coalition's mission and move to full bilateral relations, the statement added.

Earlier in the day, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said in a joint press conference with Slot that he discussed with his Dutch counterpart "the danger of continued violence at the regional and international levels, as well as the danger of Iranian and U.S. attacks on Iraqi territory."

Hussein's comment was referring to the recent U.S. airstrikes on the Iraqi paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces in western Iraq and the Iranian missile attack on Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (R) shakes hands with Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot at a joint press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 6, 2024. Iraqi senior officials exchanged views Tuesday with visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot on bilateral relations and security cooperation. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)