The Ministry of Defense signed a contract with a company of the Republic of South Korea, to equip the Defense Command with a group of advanced medium-range batteries that will support the capabilities of the Iraqi army and military forces to maintain peace and Iraq's sovereignty. The Minister of Defense indicated, during his attendance at the signing of the contract, according to a statement by the Ministry, that the completion of this contract was carried out with the continuous support and follow-up of the Prime Minister, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and is a qualitative strategic leap for air defense as it covers all Iraqi airspace and achieves regional balance for the country, pledging to the people and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to move forward to improve the situation of the Iraqi army and preserve national sovereignty. The Minister of Defense thanked the Korean government and the Korean Minister of Defense, pointing out the endeavor to develop the relationship with the Repu blic of South Korea for the better. For his part, the Korean Ambassador to Iraq thanked the Minister of Defense and spoke about the technical specifications of the new air defense weapon, stressing that Iraq and Korea have a close partnership of continuous cooperation on a wide scale in various fields, including political, economic, military and other important fields, and the friendship is witnessing prosperity and mutual benefit and that the Iraqi army and military forces will move forward towards strength and progress, concluding his speech by emphasizing that Korea will always stand by Iraq in its journey towards peace and prosperity. Source: National Iraqi News Agency