MIKATI MEETS WITH IRAQI PRESIDENT, HAILS TIES LINKING BOTH BROTHERLY COUNTRIES

President of the Iraqi Republic, Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, received this afternoon Prime Minister Najib Mikati at Baghdad Palace, in the presence of the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil, Hayan Abdul Ghani, and the Lebanese ministerial delegation accompanying PM Mikati. Discussions during the meeting touched on Arab and international developments and ways to strengthen friendly relations and joint cooperation in the interest of the two brotherly peoples. The Iraqi President considered that "today the world is witnessing rapid changes and events that require finding a formula of cooperation and common understanding between all countries of the region to confront these challenges." He touched on "the security stability and the process of construction and reconstruction that Iraq is witnessing," explaining that "the principled constants push towards strengthening its relations with brotherly and friendly countries," adding that the past period has witnessed many positive developments in this fie ld. In turn, PM Mikati appreciated "the position of the Iraqi President during the recent summit in Bahrain in support of Lebanon," explaining that "what links the two brotherly countries is more than what links Lebanon to any other country." He added that his visit to Iraq "comes within the framework of strengthening those relations and expanding the horizons of joint cooperation." Mikati extended an official invitation to the Iraqi President to visit Lebanon. Source: National News Agency - Lebanon