Iraqi president, Egyptian amb. discuss joint efforts to fight COVID-19

CAIRO – 2 April 2020: Iraqi President Barham Salih on Thursday discussed with Egypt’s ambassador to Iraq cooperation between the two countries and affirmed the need to coordinate joint efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Iraqi Presidency said.

Egypt has so far reported a total of around 850 coronavirus cases and not less than 52 deaths. Iraq has confirmed 772 cases and 54 deaths.

Meeting with Ambassador Alaa Mousa at As-Salam presidential palace in the capital Baghdad, Salih conveyed his greetings to his Egyptian counterpart, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and wished the Egyptian people further development, prosperity and the ability to overcome the health, social and economic repercussions of the coronavirus.

Mousa stressed Egypt’s keenness to foster relations with Iraq in all fields, to serve the common interests of both countries. He also expressed Egypt’s willingness to cooperate to fight this pandemic.

During the meeting, they discussed strengthening bilateral relations and ways to develop prospects for cooperation between the two brotherly countries, and stressed the importance of coordinating joint efforts and consolidating solidarity and solidarity to combat the emerging corona virus and limit its spread.

The President of the Republic of Iraq conveyed his greetings to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, wishing the brotherly Egyptian people further progress and prosperity, and overcoming the health, social and economic repercussions of the Corona epidemic.

In turn, Ambassador Moussa stressed Egypt's keenness to consolidate relations between the two countries in all fields in the interest of common interests, expressing his country's desire to cooperate in combating this pandemic and in a way that achieves health and safety for all humanity.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli on Wednesday said the world has recorded a million coronavirus cases, including around 850 cases in Egypt. The Egyptian Health Ministry on Wednesday said six people died of the virus throughout the day, bringing the total number of deaths to 52. The number has likely increased but it has not been so far officially announced.

Twenty-two patients recovered and were released from the quarantine hospital, one of them is a Malaysian national, to have the number of the recovered rising to 179, according to the Ministry’s spokesperson Khaled Megahed.

Megahed said the number of cases that turned negative for COVID-19 rose to 221, including the 179 recovered.