The Iraqi Council of Representatives early this morning confirmed Mr Adel Abdul Mahdi as the new Prime Minister of the country and appointed 14 ministers to the new Iraqi government.

The progress achieved by the Prime Minister and the Council of Representatives within the 30-day constitutional deadline is encouraging and we expect the Iraqi political players to work together in a spirit of compromise, focusing on the national interest, to fill the remaining posts in the shortest time possible. In particular women candidates need to be considered for these posts, in order to strengthen the societal inclusivity of the government.

The new government will need to urgently start addressing the many challenges that Iraq faces, to meet the legitimate needs of the Iraqi people, building also on the achievements of the outgoing Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his government.

The European Union will continue to be a steadfast partner to Iraq and the new government, in line with our Strategy for the country adopted earlier this year. The EU pledged €400 million of support at the Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq in February, and in addition has recently extended the mandate of its EU Advisory Mission for civilian security sector reform. The EU's continued aim is to work with the new government in support of the stability, security, inclusive democracy and prosperity that all Iraqis deserve.