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A meeting between the Iraqi and Dutch high delegations headed by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani and his Dutch Counterpart Mark Rutte on February 15, 2024. Photo: PM Sudani's office
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq and the Netherlands on Thursday agreed to establish a special council that will oversee bilateral relations between the two countries. The decision came following a meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani and his Dutch counterpart.
Sudani arrived in the Netherlands on Thursday, leading a high-level delegation, at the invitation of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, with whom he met and discussed various topics.
“During the discussions, an agreement was reached to establish a comprehensive bilateral cooperation council between Iraq and the Netherlands,” read a statement from PM Sudani’s office.
“This council will oversee specialized committees in various sectors, notably agriculture and its development, as well as water management and irrigation technologies,” it added.
According to the statement, the committee will address Iraq’s needs in terms of water scarcity also by leveraging Dutch companies’ expertise in the sector.
“The visit is a clear sign of the positive relations between the Netherlands and Iraq. Our countries work together effectively in areas such as the economy, migration, and security,” read a statement from Rutte on X.
Both leaders also discussed regional developments and “reflected on the fact that the Netherlands will take over command of the NATO mission in Iraq in May,” according to Rutte.
Sudani’s visit comes less than two weeks after the Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot visited Baghdad, where she met with PM Sudani and the Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.
Sudani later met with representatives of Dutch corporations such as Shell, Mammoet, and Staybolt International and “emphasized Iraq’s commitment to enhancing collaboration with Dutch companies renowned for their expertise in various energy sectors, particularly clean and renewable energy, as well as associated gas projects,” according to a statement from his office.
Following the conclusion of meetings in the Netherlands, the Iraqi prime minister headed to Germany to participate in the Munich Security Conference (MSC).
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