Iraq, Egypt presidents meet as Arab-European summit nears kick-off

Cairo (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi President Barham Salih met on Sunday with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El Sisi on the sidelines of the Arab League-European Union summit, scheduled to kick off shortly in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El Sheikh.

The meeting tackled means of boosting relations between the two brotherly countries, as well as the topics placed on the agenda of the gathering, the Iraqi presidency said in a statement.

The two presidents also discussed the role that could be played by the Egyptian companies in reconstructing Iraqi cities devastated during the country’s war against Islamic State terror group.

The Iraqi president, for his part, stressed the importance of developing mutual cooperation as a means to solve issues based on constructive dialogue.

Sisi is expected to inaugurate later in the day the summit, which is to be held under the theme of “investing in stability”. The two-day session will will discuss the challenges facing both sides, atop of which terrorism, illegal migration and transnational organized crime.

Regional conflicts in addition to the Palestinian problem will also figure high on the summit’s agenda.