German Foreign Minister calls for deeper cooperation with Iraq

At the beginning of a 4-day visit to Iraq, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced further German support for the country.

At a joint press conference with her Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein in Baghdad on Tuesday, Baerbock said Germany was calling for deeper cooperation with Iraq.

Iraq remains "a key factor for the stability of the region," said the Greens politician.

Baerbock said her four-day trip to Iraq was the longest trip abroad she had ever made. She referred to 4.3 billion euros in financial aid with which Germany had helped stabilize Iraq after the end of IS rule over parts of the country since 2014.

Germany, alongside Iraq and its international partners, is maintaining the pressure of persecution against the IS, Baerbock continued.

According to her, security, stability, the question of the Yazidi Kurds and cooperation on climate change are further priorities of her negotiations in Baghdad.

For his part, the Iraqi Foreign Minister thanked Germany for its continued support, including in rebuilding cities like Mosul that were destroyed by the fight against IS.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also paid a surprise visit to Baghdad on Tuesday and offered to continue military operations in the country. The US associations are "ready to stay" if there is an invitation to do so from the Iraqi government, Austin said.

Austin claimed on Twitter that he was in Iraq to cement the US-Iraq strategic partnership in establishing security, stability and moving towards Iraq's sovereignty.