By Mubarak Al-Enezi
BAGHDAD, Aug 26 (KUNA) -- Iraqis and Kuwaitis worked very hard together to overcome the bitterness of the past, bringing the relations back to their former glory, said former Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki.
Speaking during his meeting with the visiting delegation from the Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA) recently, Al-Maliki said that he worked hard to normalize relations with Kuwait during his tenure as Prime Minister as well as Vice President of Iraq.
He stressed that the media in both countries played an integral part in solidifying ties between Kuwait and Iraq, adding that with the normalization of relations, both nations could pursue various fields of cooperation.
Al-Maliki, who is head of the state of law coalition, called on Kuwaitis to invest in Iraq, saying that there were various opportunities for both Iraqis and Kuwaitis to pursue mutual business and commercial ventures.
Regarding the situations in Iraq and the Arab world, Al-Maliki noted that the attempts to create sectarian strife in the country and the turmoil sweeping the region were threats to the stability of all Middle Eastern countries.
Finding solutions to problems in Iraq and the Middle East is a must to overcome obstacles faced by the region, said the Iraqi official.
On the economic and security situation in Iraqi, Al-Maliki said that both domains needed to be addressed seriously by all sectors of the Iraqi society or else everyone will be doomed.
He noted that solutions to Iraq's problems include steps that would bring composure to the national economy, in addition to strong security campaigns to defeat the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Iraq.
Hopefully after the liberation of Mosul from IS, Iraqis will come together for the sake of their country, said Al-Maliki who warned against disunity amongst the people.
He said that during his tenure as Prime Minister he tried his best to bring back the country from ruins, launching several projects aimed at the development of Iraq; however, the dire security situation and various factors made it hard for his cabinet to achieve goals that would please all Iraqis.
The Kuwaiti delegation included President of the Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA) Adnan Al-Rashid, Deputy Director General for Editorial Sector and Editor-in-Chief of Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) Saad Al-Ali, and head of local department in Kuwaiti daily Al-Qabas Ibrahim Al-Saidi and other journalists.(end) mdm.gta