On Wednesday, Prime Minister Mr. Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani received the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Iraq, Ms. Elithia Rico.

At the beginning of the meeting, he congratulated Ms. Rico on her assumption of duties in Iraq, pointing to the deep relations between Iraq and Spain, which are based on a long legacy of cooperation and bilateral partnerships, highlighted by the visit of the Spanish Prime Minister to Iraq in December of last year.

The Prime Minister appreciated Spain's stance on the Palestinian issue, which is reflected in its efforts to stop the war and recognize the state of Palestine, emphasizing the need for the European Union to take stronger steps to pressure for an end to the ongoing Israeli aggression against Lebanon and Gaza, which threatens to widen the conflict throughout the region.

For her part, Ms. Rico congratulated Spain's commitment to the joint Iraqi-American declaration regarding the conclusion of the international coalition's mission, reaffirming her country's desire to sign a memorandum of understanding to transition to a bilateral partnership, following Spain's participation in the coalition formed in 2014 to combat ISIS.