Prime minister meets Iraqi Parliament speaker over bilateral relations, regional developments

AMMAN — Prime Minister Jafar Hassan on Wednesday, at the Prime Ministry, welcomed Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Mashhadani, along with his accompanying parliamentary delegation, who are on an official visit to the Kingdom.

The prime minister expressed the Kingdom's pride in the "brotherly" relations with the Iraq, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Hassan stressed the importance of maintaining and intensifying communication between the two countries at various levels, mainly in the parliamentary field, to enhance relations in political and economic arenas and push them towards broader horizons that serve the mutual interests of the two nations and their peoples.

He highlighted that Jordan and Iraq share similar economic and developmental goals, and cooperation between them is essential to harness the advantages both countries possess in areas such as industry, trade, energy resources, mining and technology.

The premier stressed the importance of bolstering collaboration between the private sector and businesspeople in both countries and utilising joint agreements in various fields.

For his part, Mashhadani noted that the next phase requires broader cooperation between the two nations. 

He affirmed Jordan's honourable stances, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, on various issues.

Mashhadani also highlighted His Majesty's wisdom and dedication to Iraq's interests and regional stability, which are widely appreciated.

Talks during the meeting addressed the current regional developments, with both sides underscoring the importance of the region's security and stability and the necessity of collective cooperation to achieve this goal.

Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Monem Odat, Chairman of the Jordanian-Iraqi Parliamentary Brotherhood Committee MP Taysir Abu Orabi and Iraqi Ambassador to Jordan Omar Barzanji attended the meeting.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Mashhadani on Wednesday discussed ways to enhance the "strategic and brotherly" ties between the two countries and explored opportunities for cooperation across various fields.

Both sides reiterated their commitment to advancing the "historical" relations between Jordan and Iraq and expanding collaboration to serve the interests of both peoples, according to a ministry statement.

Safadi and Mashhadani also went over regional developments, particularly efforts to halt the Israeli aggression on Gaza. 

They emphasised their support for the Syrian people in rebuilding their country through a Syrian-led political process that fulfils their rights and aspirations, while preserving Syria’s unity, sovereignty, security and stability.

Meanwhile, Minister of Interior Mazen Faraya also met with Mashhadani and his accompanying delegation, according to Petra. 

Faraya highlighted the "deep-rooted" Jordanian-Iraqi relations, describing them as "historic with strong social, economic, and security dimensions."

The minister reiterated Jordan's commitment, under Royal directives, to expanding cooperation with Iraq, particularly in security and economic domains, to serve the mutual interests of both nations.

Mashhadani called for benefiting from the Jordanian expertise, mainly in fields related to water security and climate.

Talks during the meeting also went over the latest regional developments, where the two sides underscored the importance of maintaining regional security and stability.