Egypt keen to boost ties with Iraq: Sisi

CAIRO, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said here on Saturday that his country is keen to bolster ties with Iraq in all aspects.

Sisi's remarks came at a press conference with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi.

"The visit of the Iraqi prime minister reflects the strength of relations between the peoples and governments of the two countries," Sisi said.

Commenting on Abdul Mahdi's first visit to Egypt since he took office in October last year, Sisi said that he realized during their talks a real desire to resume Iraq's reconstruction process and build a new state for all the Iraqis, as well as reinforcing relations between Cairo and Baghdad.

They discussed several issues as the coming Arab Summit to be held in Tunisia by the end of March, agreeing on starting preparations for the meetings of the Egyptian-Iraqi joint committee to discuss launching projects, said Sisi.

The Egyptian president also condoled with Abdul Mahdi on the deadly ferry sinking in Mosul on Thursday in which hundreds of people died and expressed Egypt's solidarity with Iraq and its people.

For his part, the Iraqi prime minister said his country hoped to carry out projects in various fields with Egypt, especially in housing, education, cultural, and transport fields.

Iraq has long seen Egypt as an elder sister, said Abdul Mahdi, stressing his country's desire for having strong ties with other Arab and regional states topped by Egypt.

He was looking forward to the trilateral meeting between Baghdad, Cairo and Amman to be held in Cairo on Sunday.

Iraq no longer has enemies but terrorism, poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment, Abdul Mahdi added.