Iraq, Ireland stress intensifying international efforts to prevent the expansion of war in the region

Baghdad - INA

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein met today, Thursday, with the President of Ireland, Michael Daniel Higgins, at his residence in the capital, Dublin, while they stressed the importance of intensifying international efforts to prevent the expansion of the war in the region.

A statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) - said: "At the beginning of the meeting, the Irish President expressed his happiness with this meeting and this visit, congratulating the Minister on the occasion of the opening of the Iraqi Embassy in Ireland."

He added, "President Higgins reviewed his experience and previous visits to Iraq in the eighties of the last century, highlighting his contributions to the humanitarian field in Iraq, and his speech addressed the Irish figures who worked in Iraq within the humanitarian support programs and the World Food Program during the period of economic sanctions in the nineties."

According to the statement, the Irish President praised "the ancient Iraqi civilization, commending the role of Iraqi cultural institutions that left positive impressions on him," stressing "the right of all components of Iraqi society to live in peace and security, and warned of the dangers of wars on societies," and he also pointed out "Iraq's suffering from the scourge of wars in its various stages, and touched on the repercussions of the recent war in Gaza and its effects on the stability of the region."

For his part, the Foreign Minister expressed his "thanks to the Irish President for providing the opportunity for this meeting, praising the depth of President Higgins' ideas and his positive impressions of Iraq and its diverse society," and called for "the opening of an Irish embassy resident in Baghdad to strengthen bilateral relations."

The statement continued, "The two sides discussed the current situation in the region, especially the repercussions of the war in Gaza and Lebanon, and stressed the importance of intensifying international efforts, including Ireland's role, to prevent the expansion of the war."