Kadhimi In Brussels to Activate Agreements Concluded with EU Countries

 Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi held talks Wednesday with President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels (AFP)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi held talks Wednesday with President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels (AFP)
TT

Kadhimi In Brussels to Activate Agreements Concluded with EU Countries

 Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi held talks Wednesday with President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels (AFP)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi held talks Wednesday with President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels (AFP)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi visited the European Commission headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday where he held talks with President of the European Commission,Ursula von der Leyen.

According to PM al-Kadhimi's office, he is set to hold a series of meetings with officials in Belgium and the EU to boost ties.

Earlier, the Iraqi PM said his visit will focus on activating the agreements concluded with the European countries to expand the economic cooperation and help Iraq overcome the economic crisis.

"Iraq suffers from a seasonal shortage in power supply. The government acknowledges it and will take measures to tackle it, given that we inaugurated four grand power plants this year and we expect to inaugurate more in the next few months," he noted.

"The talks with the EU will also highlight other economic, security, and political aspects."



Erdogan Says Türkiye Ready to Help with Ceasefire in Gaza

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 19, 2024. (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 19, 2024. (Reuters)
TT

Erdogan Says Türkiye Ready to Help with Ceasefire in Gaza

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 19, 2024. (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 19, 2024. (Reuters)

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Türkiye was ready to help in any way possible to establish a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, and expressed satisfaction with the ceasefire agreement that has come into effect in Lebanon.

Türkiye, which has fiercely criticized Israel's offensives in Gaza and Lebanon, has previously said it discussed a potential truce in Gaza with Palestinian armed group Hamas and gave the group recommendations on how to proceed with the negotiations.

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden said the United States would again push for an elusive ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza "with Türkiye, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others".

"We are stating that, as Türkiye, we are ready to provide any contribution for the massacre in Gaza to end and for a lasting ceasefire to be achieved," Erdogan told members of his ruling AK Party in parliament.

Asked about Biden's remarks, a Turkish official told Reuters a ceasefire in Lebanon without a truce in Gaza was not enough to achieve regional stability, adding Ankara was ready to help reach a deal in Gaza, just as it had supported previous efforts.

"We are again ready to help achieve a permanent ceasefire and a lasting solution in Gaza," the official said.

While Ankara has repeatedly traded insults with Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza war, it has not officially severed ties with it. Unlike Israel and its Western partners, Türkiye does not consider Hamas a terrorist organization and regularly hosts some of its senior members.