Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed in a phone call on Thursday, with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi the situation in Afghanistan and a number of bilateral cooperation issues, the Egyptian presidency said.

El-Sisi and Al-Kadhimi also discussed developments in regional issues of mutual concern.

Al-Kadhimi affirmed Iraq’s appreciation of the Egyptian efforts to support Iraqi affairs on all levels, according to the presidency.

The Iraqi premier also voiced appreciation for cooperation between the two countries, the most important of which is counter-terrorism and the efforts to achieve security, stability and development.

El-Sisi affirmed Egypt’s support for all efforts that would enhance security and stability in Iraq and also to Al-Kadhimi’s efforts to strengthen state institutions and preserve the sovereignty and Arabness of Iraq.

Egypt will continue to foster a framework of cooperation with Iraq across various fields, within the framework of bilateral relations and the trilateral cooperation mechanism that also includes Jordan, the presidency cited El-Sisi as saying.

Since March 2019, Egypt, Iraq and Jordan have held four trilateral summits, the latest of which was held late in June in Baghdad.

The summits have aimed at promoting cooperation mechanisms and reinforce political consultation on regional issues.

The past summits saw an exchange of views between the leaders of the three countries on crucial regional issues and common security challenges, as well as means to restore stability in the region.

For months, the three countries have been have been hammering out the details of long list of cooperation agreements in the fields of energy, health, construction, reconstruction, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and food.

El-Sisi, Al-Kadhimi and King Abdullah II of Jordan laid special emphasis on ambitious plans to build a power grid, a gas network, an oil pipeline, and a land route that would connect their three countries and facilitate their integration.

El-Sisi received Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi late-July in Cairo, where they called for adopting "tangible" measures to increase coordination and cooperation between the three countries.

This should especially include the fields of energy, power linkage, and industrial complexes, a presidential statement read.