Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has wrapped up his trip to Iraq and left the country. It marks the highest-level Chinese official visit in more than ten years. this was also the foreign minister's first visit to Iraq, and both political and economic issues were on the agenda.
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| Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki (R) meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Baghdad, Iraq, Feb. 23, 2014. (Xinhua/Liang Youchang) |
Upon his arrival in Baghdad on Sunday morning, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was greeted by his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zabari. Later, he headed to the heavily barricaded Green Zone, where he met with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Highlighting the strong trade cooperation between the two countries, Maliki voiced hopes to work with China in other areas including politics and security. He also thanked China for its support and aid in Iraq’s reconstruction.
Wang Yi said China is willing to deepen cooperation with Iraq, to strengthen mutual trust and to further develop bilateral ties. The Chinese Foreign Minister also held talks with his Iraqi counterpart Zabari. They discussed curbing a year-long surge in violence in the country as well as the situation in Syria and the Iranian nuclear issue.
At a following joint news conference, Zabari hailed China as the biggest trade partner for Iraq and the biggest investor in the oil and electricity sectors. Both ministers also expressed agreement over resolving the Syria crisis through political means.
Wang Yi said China welcomed the new UN Security Council resolution on delivering humanitarian aid to Syria.
"The Security Council has unanimously approved the resolution on the humanitarian situation in Syria. This resolution demonstrates the determination of the international community and its consensus on Syria. The resolution also symbolises important progress towards a political solution of the Syrian crisis. So China expresses its support and welcomes this resolution.” Wang said.
Before leaving, Wang Yi also met with the speaker of Iraq’s Council of Representatives, Osama al-Nujaifi.
