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Iraqi ForMin Al-Jaafari: Romania „has every right” to participate in the reconstruction of Iraq
Romania, as a country that has been on Iraq's side in the fight against Daesh, "has every right" to participate in the reconstruction of Iraq, visiting Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Eshaiker Al-Jaafari told a joint news conference with his Romanian counterpart Teodor Melescanu on Thursday, in Bucharest.
In his turn, Melescanu underscored again Romania's support for Iraq's sovereignty.
Al-Jaafari thanked Romania for its 50 mentors and trainers who have prepared Iraqi police forces and also for "its readiness to receive and treat combat-wounded service people." He said he discussed with Melescanu the possibility of a memorandum of healthcare cooperation being signed.
He went on to say that they also discussed the situation in Syria and the threat of Daesh.
"The Iraqi Armed Forces have succeeded in defeating this terrorist group because of their unity and the support of the international coalition and the local militias, the Kurdish forces," said Al-Jaafari.
He mentioned that he thanked Romania for its "strong position in support of the sovereignty and integrity of Iraq and its independence." "We talked about the numerous investment opportunities in Iraq; we said that Romania, as a country on our side, has every right to participate in the reconstruction of Iraq," said Al-Jaafari.
He added that he invited Melescanu to visit Iraq. He said that the victory over Daesh in Iraq is "an important experience for the whole world."
Ibrahim Al-Eshaiker Al-Jaafari said he had spoken with his counterpart on "the issue of diplomatic visas and official passports."
In his turn, Melescanu mentioned Iraq's efforts to combat terrorism and the challenges in the region.
The Romanian head diplomat pointed to "the success of the Iraqi Armed Forces, which, with special determination, have fought against the terrorist threat, thus succeeding in restoring control over the land and liberating the Iraqi population from the domination of terror."
"The activity of terrorist groups is not a phenomenon that can be confined to a certain geographical area in which they operate, because in reality their threat is felt at a regional and international level," Melescanu said.
He added that Romania "has condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, as it believes that there can be no ideological, religious, political, racial or ethnic justification or any other reason for any such action."
According to him, the fight against terrorism must have "not only a military component but also a socio-economic one that may enable a discourse to counter the radical one and contribute to addressing the root causes of radicalisation, including poverty, social inequality, lack of education."
Melescanu showed that Romania supported and is supporting preserving the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity and independence of Iraq, Syria and Yemen, adding that the only solution in the current international context is "political and inclusive conflict resolution."
"We underscored the special interest of Romania in deepening sectorial cooperation, including Romania's participation in the post-conflict reconstruction of Iraq," Melescanu said.
He added that he and his Iraqi counterpart also discussed cooperation in the areas of energy, transport, agriculture, IT and communication, as well as education and culture.
Melescanu also mentioned the need to finalise the "legal framework for economic cooperation as both countries have completed their domestic procedures for endorsing a new intergovernmental agreement on economic, technical and scientific cooperation." Thus, he said, a session of the Joint Economic, Trade and Technical Cooperation Committee will be held in the spring of 2018.