Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev met in Moscow with the chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces Falih al-Fayyadh. This was reported on Tuesday by the press service of the Security Council office.
"The parties discussed regional security issues, as well as the prospects for cooperation between the security agencies of Russia and Iraq," the report said.
According to the press service, during the meeting, Patrushev and al-Fayyadh noted the confident and dynamic development of the entire spectrum of Russian-Iraqi ties, "which meets the common interests of the two countries." They also confirmed their readiness for further expansion of contacts through the security councils, the administration of the Russian Security Council added.
This is not Patrushev's first meeting with al-Fayyadh. In particular, they met in Moscow in September 2019. At that time, the secretary of the Russian Security Council and al-Fayyadh, who was then-national security adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, discussed military and technical cooperation between the two countries and the situation in Syria. They have met before, including in February 2019 and November 2017.
Al-Fayyadh is in Moscow on a working visit. Earlier on Tuesday, he met with the Russian President's Special Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and discussed with him the situation in the republic as well as coordination of approaches in the fight against international terrorism.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS