Minister of Foreign Affairs Emphasizes to His Maldivian Counterpart the Importance of Cooperation in Addressing the File of Transferred ISIS Detainees in Iraq

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq, H.E. Mr. Fuad Hussein, met on Saturday, 14 February 2026, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives, H.E. Mr. Abdulla Khaleel, and his accompanying delegation, on the sidelines of the 62nd Munich Security Conference.

At the outset of the meeting, H.E. the Minister underscored the depth of the historical and cultural ties between the two friendly peoples and stressed the importance of leveraging them to advance bilateral relations across various fields, particularly in trade cooperation and mutual support in international forums. H.E. also noted that preparations are underway for the Republic of Iraq to host the 52nd session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, reflecting Iraq’s active role in promoting joint Islamic action.

H.E. the Minister emphasized the need to enhance cooperation, coordination, and information-sharing between the Republic of Iraq and countries whose nationals, affiliated with the terrorist organization ISIS, have been transferred from prisons in Syria to Iraq, including the Maldives, in order to address this file within appropriate legal frameworks and through joint coordination.

For his part, H.E. the Maldivian Foreign Minister affirmed the strong relations between his country and the Republic of Iraq and highlighted the importance of enhancing mutual support in international forums and organizations, as well as expanding trade cooperation in a manner that serves the shared interests of both countries. H.E. also expressed his intention to pay an official visit to Iraq in the near future.

Both sides agreed to continue communication and coordination regarding the file of ISIS detainees and to work toward broadening economic and cultural cooperation between the two friendly countries.