In this photo taken from the website of the Chinese embassy in Iraq on Nov 25, 2019, Chinese Ambassador to Iraq Zhang Tao meets Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamad A. Alhakim in Iraq on Nov 24.

BAGHDAD - Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamad A. Alhakim on Sunday hailed the relations between China and Iraq and described the bilateral ties as "excellent."

Alhakim made the remarks during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Iraq Zhang Tao, where he praised the stable and developed Iraqi-Chinese relations, according to a statement by the Chinese embassy in Iraq.

Alhakim asserted the importance of "pushing forward the prospects of bilateral cooperation between Baghdad and Beijing, according to a statement by the Chinese embassy in Iraq

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Alhakim asserted the importance of "pushing forward the prospects of bilateral cooperation between Baghdad and Beijing to achieve strategic partnerships and activate coordination and effective consultation in both international and regional forums, in a way that serves the interest of the two friendly peoples," according to the statement.

Earlier in May, Zhang said in an interview with the Iraqi media that the volume of the trade exchange between China and Iraq exceeded US$30 billion in 2018, and China looks forward to making joint efforts with Iraq to deepen the bilateral relations.

China is considered as the biggest trading partner of Iraq, while Iraq is the second biggest oil supplier to China and the fourth biggest trading partner of China in the Middle East, the Chinese ambassador added.

In September, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi paid a landmark visit to China, leading a high-level delegation. The visit resulted in the signing of eight agreements and wide-ranging memorandums of understanding between the two sides.