Leader of the National Iraqi Alliance Ammar al Hakim has called Egypt a strategic ally of Iraq.

Baghdad is keen on building a big economic partnership with Cairo, Hakim said in an interview with Extra News Channel.

He made it clear that terrorism is a combined phenomenon and cannot possibly be narrowed down to just one element.

Extremism is yet another big threat to Islam in particular, Hakim said. 

Talking about the conflict in his country, he said it has to some extent taken a sectarian turn, noting that terrorists have been acting to foment this tension. 

According to Hakim, a national settlement is the optimal solution to a post-Daesh stage. 

Iraq is against any foreign interference in its domestic affairs, he stressed.

Source: MENA