CAIRO, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stressed on Sunday "Egypt's full support of the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq" during his meeting with the visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, official news agency MENA reported.
"Egypt stands by Iraq in its efforts to restore security and stability and solidify the country's national fabric," President Sisi said during the meeting on Sunday evening.
The president also underscored the strength of relations that bind the two countries at all levels and emphasized that Egypt is looking forward to promoting the bilateral cooperation with Iraq in all domains, MENA quoted the presidency spokesperson Alaa Youssef as saying.
President Sisi expressed his congratulation to the Iraqi army over its recent victories against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization.
By June 2014, Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, fell under the IS control.
But after more than three years, the IS lost control of the Iraqi city in July when a massive operation undertaken by U.S.-backed Iraqi forces squeezed IS out. The city was declared "liberated" from the IS' grip.
The Iraqi prime minister expressed appreciation for Egypt's support for his country, highlighting the importance of Egypt's role as the main pillar of security and stability in the Arab world.
Abadi also stressed the need for combined regional and international efforts to eradicate the roots of terrorism.
The two leaders also agreed to push joint efforts to eliminate sectarian conflicts and preserve national state institutions.
The Iraqi prime minister began a regional tour on Saturday including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and Iran.
