ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iraq have reviewed their defense cooperation, the Pakistani foreign office said on Sunday, as Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met with Iraqi Defense Minister Juma Inad to further strengthen bilateral security ties.
Qureshi arrived on a three-day visit to Baghdad on Friday to discuss with Iraqi leaders, including President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, ways to boost economic exchanges and cooperation at international forums.
During his meeting with Inad, he reviewed the "progress made on various aspects of defence collaboration between the two countries" and "reiterated Pakistan's resolve to further deepen and diversify bilateral cooperation in the fields of defence and defence production," the foreign office said in a statement.
"Pakistan and Iraq enjoy close defence ties and today I met with Defence Minister #JumaInadSaadoun to further strengthen these," Qureshi said in a tweet after the meeting.
Pakistan-Iraq relations have tightened in the past few years through defense cooperation, as Islamabad provided support to Iraqi security forces in their fight against Daesh. In 2014, Iraq purchased the Super Mushak trainer aircraft from Pakistan as part of improving defense ties.
In January, Defense Production Minister Zobaida Jalal visited Baghdad on Inad's invitation.
