Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said that his country is keen on cementing cooperation with Egypt and Jordan across different fields, notably in the economy, trade and investment.

Al-Kadhimi made the remarks during a press encounter that he held Thursday in Baghdad with Head of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation Karam Gabr and editors in chief of the Middle East News Agency (MENA), Al-Ahram, Al-Akhbar, Al-Gomhuria, as well as a number of Arab and foreign journalists.

The press encounter comes ahead of an Iraqi summit in Baghdad expected to be held on Saturday to calm tensions between Iran and its Gulf Arab foes and discuss the crises in Yemen and Lebanon.

Iraq has invited Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the summit, which is co-organised by France.

Leaders from Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have also been invited.

During the press encounter, the Iraqi premier added that electricity linkage and oil projects would benefit the three countries' economies.

He noted that Iraq is in need of building political, economic and social partnerships with fellow Arab and Islamic states, along with friendly countries.

He went on to say that Iraq looks forward to cooperation with neighboring countries to solve regional crises.

Al-Kadhimi stressed that his country seeks to restore normal relations with neighboring states by focusing on cultural aspects and fostering economic ties, in addition to propagating the values of peace, love and fraternity.

He shed light on the daily military victories by the Iraqi security forces in northern provinces against the remnants of Daesh terrorist group, otherwise known as the Islamic State, that is trying to gain a foothold in Iraq.

He underlined that the Iraqi government prohibits the entry of any weapons into the country outside the state's control.

Al-Kadhimi promised that the upcoming general elections in October would be fair and transparent, and that he expects a high turnout from Iraqi voters.

The premier affirmed his country's full appreciation for the role played by Egypt under President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in supporting joint Arab solidarity, and working to achieve security and stability across the region.

During the meeting, Gabr conveyed the greetings of President El-Sisi and the Egyptian people to the Iraqi premier, expressing pleasure at what he has seen of the restoration of normal life in the streets of Iraq.

This affirms that the country has started to recover and restore its national identity, he said.

In the same regard, Gabr noted that Iraq has begun to take serious steps towards development and construction, voicing his appreciation for ongoing efforts in the country that aims to bolster the welfare of the people, as well as to reach further regional and international cooperation.

During the press encounter, Iraqi President Barham Salih gave remarks, saying that Iraq appreciates the Egyptian experience in construction and development as well as the restoration of security and stability across Egypt under President El-Sisi.

Salih praised the Egyptian experiment in this regard as a role model for Iraq and the countries in the region.

El-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah II are keen to cooperate with Iraq through their trilateral cooperation mechanism in economic, developmental and other fields, Salih said.

They are also keen on continuous consultation with Iraq on the various issues of mutual concern to achieve the interests of the three countries and the countries of the region, the Iraqi president added.

Salih affirmed that Iraq’s Saturday summit will be a chance for Baghdad to highlight its vision on regional issues and the means of partnership to establish economic cooperation and integration between Iraq, the neighbouring countries and other countries that are allies of the region.

The Iraqi president also reaffirmed Iraq’s stance defending the Palestinian cause and the right of the Palestinian people in establishing their independent state in accordance with the international legitimacy resolutions.

Salih affirmed that achieving peace in the Middle East depends on the necessity of finding a fair solution to the Palestinian crisis.