Shafaq News/ The Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fouad Hussein, outlined the aspects of the military and security cooperation between Iraq and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) before the latter's council today, Thursday. 

In a statement received by Shafaq News Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein presented a hypothetical briefing via video conference technology to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in which he focused on cooperation between NATO and Iraq and the mission of the NATO training mission in Iraq."

 The statement added, "NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg focused on discussions of the long-standing political and military dialogue between NATO and Iraqi officials, including his regular contacts with Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.

Stoltenberg stressed, according to the statement, that the presence of NATO forces in Iraq is at the request of the Iraqi government in order to strengthen its institutions and security forces in order to be able to achieve stability in Iraq, fight terrorism and prevent the return of ISIS.

He pointed out that "the NATO mission in Iraq will continue to implement its activities in the field of advice, training and capacity building, and within full respect for the sovereignty of Iraq and territorial integrity and with the full approval of the Iraqi government and close coordination with other international actors, including the international coalition, the European Union and the United Nations."

Secretary-General Stoltenberg congratulated Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on the historic visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Iraq, Noting that "the ambassadors of NATO member states and the partner countries participated in the meeting, namely Australia, Finland, and Sweden."