MOSCOW. Oct 5 (Interfax) - Russia hopes that Iraq's new government will be formed as soon as possible, a step that will help stabilize the situation in the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
"Moscow notes with satisfaction that the process of forming the executive branch of power in Iraq is nearing its conclusion. We are convinced that this will benefit efforts to stabilize the situation and strengthen Iraq as a united, independent, sustainably developing, and friendly state in the Middle East region," the ministry said in a commentary published on its website.
"We express hope for the soonest possible approval of a new government in Baghdad whose objective is to work for the benefit of nationwide accord and in the interests of all of the Iraqis, regardless of their ethnicity and faith," the ministry said.
The Russian side will "continue making efforts to promote the step-by-step development of diverse Russian-Iraqi relations and also help Baghdad implement important socioeconomic projects and combat international terrorism," it said.
The Iraqi Parliament on October 2 elected Barham Salih as the country's new president. He gave the prime minister-designate, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, 30 days to put together a new cabinet and submit it for parliamentary approval, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.