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Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi Thursday met his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev at the start of a Moscow visit aimed at boosting cooperation in the fight against ISIS, AFP reports.

"We understand that the threat of terrorism is enveloping not just Iraq but the neighboring countries," Abadi told Medvedev in remarks translated into Russian. 

"It evolves and takes new shapes, and we understand perfectly well that it requires heightened attention from Russia. We expect more active cooperation in this direction," he said.

He was set to meet President Vladimir Putin later in the day, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

The two are to discuss defence cooperation and the "situation in the [Middle East] region," after ISIS fighters seized the strategic Iraqi city of Ramadi, dealing a major blow to the government.