Iraq’s Council of Ministers holds its 1st meeting, chaired by PM Maliki:

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq’s new Council of Ministers has held its first meeting on Wednesday, concentrated to present Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki and members of his new cabinet, Member of the National Coalition, Mohammed Seyhoud al-Saadoun said. “Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, has chaired the first meeting of his new cabinet on Wednesday afternoon, in which Maliki introduced his cabinet ministers, to get acquainted among each other,” Saadoun added. He said that “handing over of the ministries by the former ministers to the new ministers did not take place in the meeting, but to pass over each ministry in its own building, according to procedures agreed upon among the ministers.” Prime Minister Designate, Nouri al-Maliki, had presented his new cabinet ministers to the Parliament on Tuesday afternoon, that comprised 41 ministries, whilst he kept the ministries of interior, defense and national securiy, on temporary acting basis, whilst some of the ministers held their posts on acting bases till the naming of the original ministers. SKH 95