On Tuesday, May 24, 2022, the President of the Republic of Iraq, Barham Salih met with the Chair of the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) of the European Parliament, Nathalie Loiseau alongside her delegation. The meeting was held at al-Salam Palace in Baghdad.

How important it was to strengthen the relationship between Iraq and the European Union as there is an essential partnership across all the sectors, President Salih said.

And these include the fight against terrorism and extremism, how to face some remaining cells of the extremist group known as the Islamic State/IS as well as developing the capability of the Iraqi security forces through sharing experiences, he added.

Moreover, it is vital to form an Int'l Coalition to combat terrorism which is similar to the International Coalition against terrorism, Mr. President continued, as corruption is the political economy of violence and terrorism.

Furthermore, he underlined that terrorism will be eradicated if we succeed to dry up the sources where terrorism takes its financial support.

Terrorism and financial corruption are connected and interdependent – one benefits the other, added the President.

Iraqi troops of every kind continue carrying out their military operations to put an end to the remaining cells of the extremist group known as the Islamic State/IS, threatening security in Iraq and the region as well, The President emphasized.

Threats posed by terrorism on security mustn't be underestimated, he said, while security and stability should be maintained.

Additionally, he underscored how important it was to work towards calming tensions, halting crises, and putting an end to conflicts in the region and the world as well. We should be vigilant that insecurity and instability could be used by terrorists to threaten the world, he said.

Ms. Nathalie Loiseau, in turn, expressed the European Union's commitment to supporting security and stability in Iraq and showed the EU's desire to further develop Iraqi security forces in the field of fighting against terrorism.

Meanwhile, she hailed the key role played by Iraq in the fight against IS as well as its efforts made to bring about security and stability in the region.