CAIRO: Egyptian Defense Minister Lt. General Mohammad Zaki is discussing with his Iraqi counterpart Jumaa Inad Saadoun the military cooperation between the two countries. The meeting, currently taking place in Egypt as part of an official visit lasting several days, is dealing with a number of issues of common interest in military cooperation and the transfer and exchange of experiences between the armed forces of both countries, according to Egyptian army spokesman Col. Gharib Abdel Hafez. The Egyptian defense minister affirmed his country’s pride in its “established relations with Iraq” and the keenness of the General Command of the Egyptian Armed Forces “to increase the bonds of cooperation and partnership in various military fields.” The Iraqi defense minister praised Egypt’s “influential and effective role” in its regional and international surroundings and in achieving security and stability in the Middle East. The meeting has been attended by senior commanders of the armed forces of the two countries, the Iraqi ambassador and the military attache of Baghdad in Cairo.