Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay welcomed on Saturday the Iraqi Council of Representatives' endorsement of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's proposed cabinet and pledged Canada's support and cooperation with the new Iraqi government.

"This new government embodies the strong commitment to democracy demonstrated by the people of Iraq throughout the political transition," MacKay said in a statement.

"Canada looks forward to working with the national unity government of Iraq and will support its efforts to provide security and prosperity to all Iraqis," said MacKay.

The Iraqi parliament approved the 37-member cabinet headed by Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki at a special session held in Baghdad on Saturday. But three key posts-- interior, defense and national security affairs, remained unfilled.

The new cabinet came into being after almost five months of bargaining among Iraqi Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish leaders after the country's election in December 2005.

It is the first full-term government in Iraq after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 ousted former president Saddam Hussein.

Source: Xinhua