15 April 2005—Charge d’ Affaires, a.i. Ricardo M. Endaya of the Philippine Embassy, Baghdad is being received by incoming Prime Minister Ibrahim Al-Jafari after his appointment as head of government was announced by President Jalal Talabani.

In his conversations with  CDA Endaya, Prime Minister Al-Jafari promised to look into other areas of cooperation between the Philippines and Iraq aimed at expanding bilateral ties.

The 275 members of Iraq’s national assembly were elected on 30 January 2005 in the country’s first multi-party elections in more than 50 years.  The national assembly members chose Kurdish Alliance’s candidate, Jalal Talabani, for president and United Iraqi Alliance’s Ibrahim Al-Jafari as prime minister. (BAGHDAD PE PHOTO)