Egypt Sets Up Emergency Team to Follow Up Envoy’s Abduction in Iraq

Text of report in English by Egyptian news agency MENA

Cairo, 6 July: The Egyptian Foreign Ministry is holding constant contacts with the Iraqi government and all Iraqi powers to facilitate the release of chief of the Egyptian diplomatic mission in Baghdad, Ihab al-Sharif, who was abducted in Iraq on Sunday [3 July].

The ministry has formed an emergency team to follow up the situation, an Egyptian diplomatic source said Wednesday [6 July].

Al-Sharif was appointed as head of the Egyptian diplomatic mission in Iraq in succession of ambassador Faruk Mabruk who occupied the same post for three years before being pensioned off.

Meantime, a phone contact took place Wednesday between Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu-al-Ghayt and his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari.