In a statement released on Thursday, Iraq's Defense Ministry announced a meeting between the army chief of staff, Lieutenant General Othman al-Ghanimi, and Russian Ambassador Maksim Maksimov, along with Moscow’s newly arrived defense attaché in Baghdad, Press TV reported.

During the meeting, the statement said, the two sides discussed prospects for “cooperation and coordination" and emphasized the importance of exchanging information and coordination to prevent the resurgence of the IS terrorist group.

Ghanimi praised Russia for providing Iraqi "armed forces with advanced and effective equipment and weapons that had a major role in resolving many battles."

Maksimov, for his part, invited Ghanimi to Moscow and meet with his Russian counterpart “within the framework of strengthening cooperation between the two sides."

Meanwhile, a senior Iraqi military intelligence official, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that Russia was among the countries that offered military support in the wake of fraught Washington-Baghdad ties.

“Iraq still needs aerial reconnaissance planes. There are countries that have given signals to Iraq to support us or equip us with reconnaissance planes such as Russia and Iran,” he said.

Reporter’s code: 50101