The Secretary-General met today with H.E Mr. Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq.

During their meeting, the Secretary-General welcomed the Foreign Minister’s participation in the High-Level Thematic Debate on Promoting Tolerance and Reconciliation, convened at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day.

While welcoming the liberation of certain ISIL-held areas in Iraq, the Secretary-General noted the multi-faceted challenges still facing Iraq and expressed his hope that these would be resolved with concerted support from regional and international partners. He stressed the need for the protection of human rights, in this regard. The Secretary-General further commended the Government of Iraq’s efforts towards national reconciliation.

The Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister also discussed various issues in the region of mutual concern, including the situations in Syria and Yemen.