Baghdad: — President Asif Ali Zardari met Dr. Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, President of the Republic of Iraq at Baghdad Palace.
Upon arrival at the Palace, President Asif Ali Zardari was accorded a guard of honour. An official welcoming ceremony was held, followed by a one-on-one meeting between the two Presidents and delegation-level talks. President Rashid also hosted a lunch in honour of President Asif Ali Zardari and his accompanying delegation.
The President expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome extended by the Iraqi leadership and people, and described Baghdad as a historic city symbolising civilisation and resilience.
President Zardari congratulated the Iraqi leadership and people on the successful conduct of the parliamentary elections and expressed best wishes for the smooth formation of the new government. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s firm support for Iraq’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity, and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to Iraq’s stability, prosperity and democratic progress.
Both leaders reviewed the state of bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction over the positive momentum generated by recent high-level exchanges, including the 9th session of the Pakistan-Iraq Joint Ministerial Commission and parliamentary interactions.
The President noted that current levels of bilateral trade do not reflect the true potential of Pakistan-Iraq economic, cultural and security relations. He highlighted opportunities for expanding trade, investment, agriculture and defence production sectors besides information technology, construction, pharmaceuticals and related industries. He also underscored the importance of business-to-business engagement, reciprocal business delegations and the establishment of direct banking channels to facilitate trade and commercial activity.
President Zardari reiterated Pakistan’s willingness to support Iraq’s reconstruction and development efforts through the provision of skilled and semi-skilled manpower under the existing Memorandum of Understanding on manpower transmission. He also highlighted Pakistan’s capacity in medical services, financial expertise and digital governance, and expressed readiness to share technical experience, including in secure data management, to support institutional capacity-building in Iraq.
The President also requested for improved facilitation for Pakistani pilgrims visiting Iraq and expressed hope for early finalisation and implementation of the proposed Memorandum of Understanding on Zaireen Management, aimed at ensuring orderly travel and addressing longstanding issues related to religious visits. The President also expressed his firm resolve to work with Iraqi government to stop illegal entry and overstay of those Pakistanis who violate Iraqi law.
Both Presidents expressed their resolve to fight extremism, terrorism and narco trade and enhance bilateral cooperation.
The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening bilateral cooperation across political, economic and social domains, and agreed to maintain close coordination at regional and multilateral fora, including the United Nations and the OIC, on issues of mutual interest.
Iraqi President appreciated Pakistan’s role in uniting Islamic Ummah and the historical support to the people of Palestine.
Senator Sherry Rehman; Senator Saleem Mandviwala; Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, Governor Punjab; Mr. Sharjeel Inam Memon, Sr Provincial Minister Govt of Sindh; Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Provincial Minister of Sindh; Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari, Ex-Chairman Senate and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iraq, accompanied the President.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
