Al-Sudani and Biden renew their commitment to the permanent strategic partnership between Iraq and the US
Baghdad / NINA /- Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani and US President Joe Biden renewed their commitment to the permanent strategic partnership between Iraq and the United States, and discussed their vision for comprehensive bilateral cooperation under the 2008 Strategic Framework Agreement, while agreeing on the importance of working together to enhance regional stability and respect Iraq’s sovereignty, stability, and security.
The two sides affirmed, in a joint statement following the Iraqi-American discussions at the White House: “The diversified and growing Iraqi economy, integrated with the region and the global economic system, is the basis for permanent stability in the region and prosperity for the people of Iraq.”
They exchanged views on ways of cooperation in the political, economic, and security fields between Iraq and the United States to promote common goals, including supporting a strong and stable Iraqi state that works to promote peace and progress throughout the Greater Middle East.
In the field of energy and environment, President Biden praised the progress made by Iraq in achieving self-sufficiency in the field of energy, and the two sides discussed future opportunities in order to achieve bilateral cooperation in this regard to achieve self-sufficiency by 2030 with the help of American companies, and President Biden stressed the continued support of the United States for Iraq’s efforts to modernize its energy sector, reduce methane emissions, improve public health, provide more reliable electricity to the Iraqi people, and complete the connection of electrical power networks with neighboring countries, especially with Jordan and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
They also discussed future plans to develop Iraq's resources and ensure that all Iraqis benefit from their country's natural wealth, in accordance with the Iraqi constitution, stressing the importance of ensuring Iraqi oil reaches international markets, and expressing their desire to reopen the pipeline between Iraq and Turkey.
In the field of regional integration and political cooperation, Biden affirmed the United States’ support for Iraq in strengthening relations with the international community and the countries of the region to ensure security, stability and enhance prosperity for its people, he also pledged to continue supporting the United States to achieve greater economic integration of Iraq with the Middle East region.
The two sides discussed their common view that the Iraqi Kurdistan region is an integral part of the comprehensive prosperity and stability in Iraq.
In this context, Biden praised the efforts of the Prime Minister and the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government to reach a solution to all outstanding inherited issues, including the current arrangements to pay two months’ salaries to employees of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government, and encouraged continued progress, stressing the United States’ support for consolidating democracy in Iraq, this includes holding free, fair and transparent elections in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
Regarding economic and financial matters, Al-Sudani and Biden discussed Iraq’s advanced efforts to reform the financial and banking sectors, which help link Iraq to the international economy and increase trade while protecting the Iraqi people from the harmful effects of corruption and money laundering, and what was achieved during the years 2023 and 2024, with banks in Iraq expanding (relationships with Correspondence) with international financial institutions to enable trade finance, as the majority of trade finance operations are now done through these channels. The two presidents stressed the importance of these and other measures to improve the investment climate in Iraq to attract foreign capital and promote economic growth.
Iraq and the United States committed to strengthening their cooperation to achieve greater transparency and cooperation against money laundering, terrorist financing, fraud, corruption, and sanctioned activities that could undermine the integrity of the financial systems in both countries, they also committed to supporting the Central Bank of Iraq in ending the electronic auction platform for international money transfers by the end of 2024, through direct dealing between banks licensed in Iraq and approved international correspondent banks to achieve this transformation that will connect Iraqis and Iraqi companies to the international economic system.
Al-Sudani and Biden discussed their commitment to a stable and secure Iraq, and agreed that Iraqi security forces must be able to ensure that ISIS cannot re-establish its ranks again inside Iraq to threaten the Iraqi people, the region, or the international community, including the United States. President Biden reiterated his belief that a strong Iraq capable of self-defense is critical to regional stability, and strengthening the capabilities of security forces across Iraq to secure Iraq's lands and people.
The two presidents discussed the successes of the coalition in both Iraq and Syria, nearly ten years after its formation, as the Iraqi security forces, including in Kurdistan, played a decisive role in defeating ISIS on the ground, and the two presidents praised the sacrifices made by members of the Iraqi and American military forces and the rest of the friendly countries, who served side by side as partners during the historic campaign against ISIS, as well as civilians killed by ISIS, including the massacres at Camp Speicher, Mount Sinjar and Hit.
The Prime Minister emphasized the national effort required to defeat ISIS and discussed his positive agenda to continue to rebuild Iraq and restore its position as an engine of stability and growth in the Middle East.
President Biden indicated that the permanent defeat of ISIS will help ensure the security of Iraq, the region, and the world in the future, which will reflect on achieving the aspirations of the Iraqi people for economic development, attracting foreign investment, and playing a leadership role in the region.
The Prime Minister and the American President also discussed the natural development of the international coalition against ISIS in light of the great progress that has been made over ten years. The two presidents expressed their commitment to the ongoing work of the Supreme Military Committee and its results, and the three working groups that will evaluate the continuing threat from ISIS, and operational environmental requirements, and enhancing the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces. The two presidents confirmed that they will review these factors to determine when and how the international coalition’s mission in Iraq will end, and move in an organized manner to permanent bilateral security partnerships, in accordance with the Iraqi constitution and the strategic framework agreement between Iraq and the United States.
They confirmed their intention to hold a joint security cooperation dialogue meeting later this year to discuss the future of the bilateral security partnership. They renewed their commitment to the bilateral partnership for the benefit of the two countries, and decided to expand cooperation in all areas discussed in this meeting and in the meetings of the Supreme Coordination Committee, with the participation of the Iraqi Minister of Planning and the US Secretary of State. The two presidents affirmed their intention to continue their consultations on a common vision for a comprehensive partnership and fruitful for achieving common goals./ End
