Remarks

Your Excellency,
Foreign Minister Hussein,
Dear Fuad,

It’s great to see you again.
Welcome to the NATO Headquarters and it’s a pleasure to see you here again.
Let me start by wishing you and people of Iraq a peaceful, Holy Month of Ramadan.

And it is good to have you here not least because you demonstrate leadership in strengthening the partnership between NATO and Iraq, partnership which we highly value not least because we stand together in fighting terrorism to promote stability, and we are stepping up what we do together.

NATO's training mission in Iraq is something we attach great importance to, and I'm glad to see that NATO trainers work together with your people in the Ministry of Defence and also in the Office of the National Security Adviser.

And the meeting today is a way for us to take stock and to exchange views on how we can further strengthen our partnership, how we can do more together.
And, of course, everything we do in Iraq is in full respect of Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It's based on your wish, your demand but we are glad that we can continue to work together because we know that the fight against terrorism is something that matters for you.

You have paid a high price in that fight, but we will stand with you and we will continue to work with Iraq in promoting stability and fighting terrorism.

So once again, welcome.