Iraqi FM, UN envoy discuss UN mission's withdrawal, future cooperation

BAGHDAD, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein held a meeting here on Thursday with Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq Mohamed Al Hassan, during which they discussed the withdrawal of the UN assistance mission and their future cooperation.

At the meeting, Al Hassan briefed Hussein on the work of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the steps taken to end the mission's tasks by the end of this year, according to a statement by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

A UN Security Council resolution issued in May 2024 requires UNAMI's withdrawal from Iraq by Dec. 31, 2025, following a request from the Iraqi government.

Additionally, the two sides discussed strengthening Iraq's engagement with the UN and enhancing its presence within the organization, especially after Iraq assumed the chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China, the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the UN.

Hussein commended the role of UNAMI in assisting Iraq over the past years and emphasized Iraq's keenness to continue productive cooperation with the United Nations across various fields, it added.

For his part, Al Hassan expressed his appreciation for the constructive cooperation between the mission and the Iraqi government, affirming the UN's commitment to supporting Iraq in its path toward stability and development, the statement said. ■