Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince phones Iraqi PM Kadhimi, welcomes new government

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has phoned Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi after Iraq formed a new government, reiterating the Kingdom’s support for Iraq in achieving stability and security, according to an official statement.

“During the call, His Highness the Crown Prince expressed his congratulations to the Prime Minister of Iraq, and the wishes of Iraq and its people for development and prosperity,” the statement from the Saudi Press Agency read.

“His Highness the Crown Prince affirmed the Kingdom's support for what Iraq achieves for its development and security, and the Kingdom's keenness to strengthen relations between the two countries,” the statement added.

For his part, Kadhemi expressed gratitude toward the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince “his good brotherly feelings, stressing his keenness on the importance of relations between the two countries and pushing for further cooperation.”

Iraqi lawmakers approved a new government on Wednesday after six months without one as parties squabbled until the last minute over Cabinet seats in backroom deals.

Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Mustafa al-Kadhimi delivers a speech during the vote on the new government at the parliament headquarters in Baghdad. (Reuters)

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Kadhimi, Iraq's intelligence chief and a former journalist, will head the new government. He will begin his term without a full Cabinet, however, after several ministerial candidates were rejected.

Former prime minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, who has been leading a caretaker government, resigned last year as anti-government protesters took to the streets in their thousands, demanding jobs and the departure of Iraq's ruling elite.

(With Reuters)