PM Modi greets Iraq on its Republic Day

NEW DELHI: On Iraq's Republic Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India values its ties with that country and expressed confidence that the bilateral relationship will become stronger in future.

"Republic Day greetings to the people of Iraq," he tweeted.

"We value our ties with Iraq & I am sure our ties will become stronger in the coming years," Modi added.

Yesterday, President Pranab Mukherjee said India strongly supports Iraq's territorial integrity and its government's efforts to "overcome the current crisis", apparently referring to the war that the country is engaged in against ISIS terror group.

In a message to his counterpart Fuad Masum on the eve of National Day of Iraq, Mukherjee had said India deeply values its close and friendly relations with that country, which are rooted in ancient trade and cultural links and people-to-people contacts.

Iraq is facing a crisis as it is fighting a war against ISIS which controls some central western and western provinces. There have been attempts by the group to target places in the capital Baghdad.