Defense officials discussed prospects for ‘cooperation and coordination,’ emphasized the importance of exchanging information to prevent the resurgence of ISIS
Iraq and Russia discussed prospects for deepening military coordination, Iraq’s Defense Ministry said Thursday, amid a strain in Baghdad-Washington relations after a U.S. airstrike killed a top Iranian general inside Iraq.
The ministry statement followed a meeting in Baghdad between Iraqi army chief of staff Lt. Gen. Othman Al-Ghanimi and Iraq’s Russian Ambassador Maksim Maksimov, as well as a newly arrived defense attache.
The meeting comes during an uncertain moment in the future of Iraq-U.S. military relations, following the January 3 U .S. drone strike that killed Iran’s most powerful military commander, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, and Iraqi senior militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis near Baghdad airport. The attack continues to create friction, prompting powerful Shiite parties to call for an overhaul of the existing strategic set-up between Iraq and the U.S.-led coalition.
skip – Haaretz Weekly Ep. 60
Al-Ghanimi praised Moscow’s role in the battle against the Islamic State group, saying they had provided “our armed forces with advanced and effective equipment and weapons that had a major role in resolving many battles,” according to the ministry statement.
The statement said the sides discussed prospects for “cooperation and coordination.” Both parties emphasized the importance of exchanging information and coordination to prevent the resurgence of ISIS.
Maksimov extended an invitation to al-Ghanimi to visit Russia and meet with his counterpart “within the framework of strengthening cooperation between the two sides,” the statement said.
There was no immediate comment from Moscow.
Content retrieved from: https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/iraq/iraq-considers-deepening-military-ties-with-russia-after-u-s-killing-of-soleimani-1.8503824.