Russia hopes to develop cooperation with Iraq - State Duma speaker

MOSCOW, April 7. /TASS/. Russia hopes to develop cooperation with Iraq in the oil and gas sphere and military-technical field, Russian State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin said on Tuesday at a meeting with the Iraqi parliament speaker Salim al-Jabouri. "We are satisfied with contacts at different levels between Russia and Iraq, we positively assess the development of trade and economic relations, including the growing trade turnover between our countries. We hope to develop cooperation in such key spheres as oil and gas, energy, transport, military and technical cooperation, humanitarian sphere, in particular education," Naryshkin said. The Duma speaker confirmed that Russia consistently supports Iraq’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. "We know very well that today Iraq faces very difficult threats. The activity of IS [Islamic State extremist group] poses an enormous threat not only for Iraq, but also for neighboring countries - Syria, Jordan, and for the whole Middle East, and for the whole world," Naryshkin stressed. "IS militants and terrorists destroy the population of Iraq’s cities and settlements, the cities themselves, destroy ancient cultural sites and cultural artifacts," he noted. "We understand very well what efforts the Iraqi government, the Iraqi people make to fight this common evil," the Duma speaker said. Read more