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Pezeshkian calls for strategic cooperation after new Iraqi PM takes office
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday congratulated new Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi for securing parliamentary confidence after he was sworn in a day earlier, expressing hope the two nations would witness a new chapter of strategic cooperation.
“I hope that in this new phase, and drawing on the deep ties between our two peoples, we will witness a new chapter of strategic cooperation,” Pezeshkian said in a post on X.
He added that Tehran would “remain by Iraq’s side on the path of development and the consolidation of security”.
Iraq’s parliament on Thursday voted to approve the government program and part of the cabinet lineup of Zaidi but hit an impasse over some of the ministerial appointments.
The 270 lawmakers in attendance voted to confirm 14 ministers in the 23-member cabinet. Most were newcomers to the government, but foreign minister Fuad Hussein retained his post.
Nominees for three posts – interior minister, higher education minister and planning minister – failed to win parliamentary approval. Voting on other positions – including the defense, labor, housing and reconstruction and education ministers – was postponed to a later stage, with no date set.
Under a power-sharing arrangement among the political factions, the dominant parliamentary bloc – the Coordination Framework, a coalition of Shia parties – picks 12 ministers, while Sunni parties choose six, Kurdish parties four and religious minorities one.
The government program approved by the MPs includes priorities related to improving public services, addressing the electricity crisis, and supporting economic stability, in addition to combating corruption, reforming public administration, and strengthening the rule of law.
The program also includes provisions related to restricting weapons to the state, which may be difficult to implement in practice.