PRIME MINISTER:
Excellency, it’s terrific to have you here in Australia.
Obviously, Australia is making a strong contribution to the campaign against the Daesh death cult.
We’re doing this not just because we want to help Iraq – although we do want to help Iraq – we’re doing this because the death cult is reaching out to people in Australia.
We saw a graphic illustration yesterday in Sydney of the way the death cult is inspiring misguided people in this country to want to do absolutely horrific things.
That’s why it’s important that the whole world, including Australia, stand with Iraq as you grapple with the terrible problems that you’re currently facing.
Excellency, do you wish to say a few words?
FOREIGN MINISTER AL-JAAFARI:
First of all, let me thank you very much for this opportunity and I highly appreciate and recognise how busy your schedule is.
I must register my sincere thanks and gratitude to the Australian position towards Iraq and supporting Iraq, including the Australian Minister for Foreign Affair’s statement and position during the United Nations General Assembly meeting. She had an early and excellent position supporting Iraq. During the United Nations General Assembly meeting, the Australian Foreign Minister had a very excellent role during the meetings.
Australia actually had an early support to Iraq, even before the terrorist events happened in Australia. We’d like to thank you for your support to Iraq against ISIL.
I believe that we should continue coordinating between each other, because despite the international coalition force, unfortunately, ISIL is still mobilising and still extending in the world.
Since the New York meetings until now, Daesh succeeded in targeting other cities such as Paris and Canada.
Absolutely, without the international coalition’s tremendous efforts, Daesh could have attacked more cities.
Today, Daesh is degrading in favour of the advance of the Iraq army due to the improvement of the political situation in Iraq where all the Iraqi components are being included [inaudible]. Also, the Iraqi armed forces are being more and more active.
The aerial support from the international coalition is also contributing much to these efforts.
Today, it’s clear that ISIL is being degraded and pushed back. We must condense and enforce our joint efforts in the international coalition to push ISIL back.
We are also looking forward to strengthen and deepen the bilateral relations between Iraq and Australia, especially the economic and agricultural cooperation, especially because Australia has a special position towards Iraq after 2003. We wish that will continue [inaudible].
The cooperation and events between the two ministries is good, but we are looking forward to get it better.
I would like to thank you for your care and sponsorship to the Iraqi community in Australia. Yesterday, I met a number of Iraqi citizens and residents here in Australia and they had a very good impression about their life and the care they got here in Australia.
We are looking forward to your kind visit to Iraq very soon.
PRIME MINISTER:
I look forward to that very much.
[ends]