"It is not in the best interest of Iraq to be the stronghold of an country, and it is not in the best interest of Iraq to harbor military bases for foreign countries because this will urge other to try and establish military bases as well. Iraq has strong will and respect for its sovereignty and the presence of any foreign troops on Iraqi territory is not allowed especially as such a matter is decided on in parliament and not by the government. Maleki added.
In 2011 we were able to end foreign presence on Iraqi territory. The foreign forces returned as part of a multi-national coalition to assist Iraq in its fight against Daesh; Daesh presence in Iraq has come to an end and the presence of coalition forces in Iraq must come to an end as well".Former Iraq Premier said.
We have cooperated in different fields: military, security, political, economic ... Today we must invest in this cooperation and in these friendly ties between Iran and Iraq to boost trade and economic exchange especially as Iraq is now opening its doors for major investments and Iranian companies have great weight and much expertise and can contribute to reconstructing Iraq especially as Iran is a solid base for Iraq and Iraqis to lean on.Maleki also said."
