PM Meets US Secretary of State And Receives An Invitation To Visit Washington And Meet Biden

Baghdad / NINA/ - Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani met in New York, Tuesday morning (Baghdad time), with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, on the sidelines of his participation in the meetings of the United Nations General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session.

 During the meeting, according to a statement by the PM's Media Office, aspects of cooperation between Iraq and the United States of America were discussed, and ways to strengthen partnership in various fields and levels.

 During the meeting, Al-Sudani received, through the American Minister, President Joseph Biden’s invitation to Al-Sudani to visit the White House in order to further discuss bilateral relations between the two countries.

 The Prime Minister affirmed his appreciation for the invitation and his readiness to respond to it at a date to be determined later, stressing the importance of resuming the work of the joint Iraqi-American committee, with regard to the strategic framework agreement between the two countries.

 Al-Sudani also referred to a number of important milestones for bilateral cooperation, the successful visit made by the Iraqi delegation headed by the Minister of Defense to Washington, and the discussion regarding the relationship with the international coalition to combat terrorism.

 Al-Sudani expressed Iraq's desire to develop partnership relations with the United States in the areas of confronting the effects of climate change and investing in the energy sector, welcoming the contribution of American companies to investment opportunities in Iraq.

 Al-Sudani reiterated the importance of joint cooperation in the security field to combat ISIS, in light of the growing combat capabilities of the Iraqi security forces and their capabilities to maintain security throughout Iraq.

 For his part, Minister Blinken indicated the US administration’s appreciation for the practical steps taken by Iraq in diversifying energy sources, optimal investment in gas, and achieving self-sufficiency by signing contracts with Total, and electrical interconnection with neighboring countries, stressing the United States’ keenness to cooperate with Iraq on issues of confronting the effects of climate change, developing infrastructure, and expanding partnership in various fields, renewing the United States’ support for Iraq’s stability, development, and prosperity. / End