Biden hails Baghdad, Erbil following regional conference; affirms continued US support
WASHINGTON DC (Kurdistan 24) – US President Joe Biden issued a statement late on Saturday praising the results of the Baghdad Cooperation and Partnership Conference, which had been held earlier that day.
The conference included French President Emmanuel Macron, who had suggested the idea of holding such a meeting to Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, as well as the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, along with Foreign Ministers from Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
Read More: Nine countries partake in Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership
“I congratulate the Government of Iraq on hosting a successful and ground-breaking regional summit,” Biden said in his written statement. “This kind of diplomacy has never been more important as we seek to ease tensions among neighboring states and expand cooperation across the Middle East.”
“Iraq’s leadership on this is historic,” Biden added, and “I also thank President Macron for his engagement and support.”
When Kadhimi visited Washington last month, in the context of the Strategic Dialogue between the US and Iraq, he met with Biden.
Read More: Biden, Kadhimi affirm partnership, US forces to remain in Iraq in advisory and training role
Biden explained on Saturday—as he also credited the Kurdistan Regional Government—that he and Kadhimi had also “discussed Iraq’s important role in the region and the significant efforts led by the Government of Iraq, including the Kurdistan Regional Government, to improve and strengthen the ties between Iraq and its neighbors.”
Reaffirming US Commitment to Iraq and its Security
The chaos in Kabul—as the US withdraws from Afghanistan after 20 years of conflict—is raising concerns among America’s smaller partners elsewhere, including in Baghdad and Erbil.
Thus, Biden also affirmed his commitment to helping to maintain Iraq’s security. “The United States continues to stand with our partner Iraq, as we work toward greater stability across the Middle East,” he said, and “we remain committed to strengthening our bilateral relationship under the Strategic Framework Agreement.”
Biden thus became the third US official—and, of course, the most important—to affirm that message this month.
The first was Amb. Matthew Tueller, who spoke with journalists in Erbil on August 10. As Tueller stated, “President Biden understands the importance of Iraq, the importance of the US to Iraq, [and] the importance of Iraq in the region.”
Read More: US Envoy: We are committed to Iraq 'for the long haul'
Then, on Friday, National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, spoke with Iraq’s Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, and conveyed Biden’s “strong commitment to Iraq and to its people and to further strengthening our enduring bilateral relationship under the Strategic Framework Agreement,” as National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne explained in summarizing their discussion.
Read More: White House affirms Biden’s ‘strong commitment to Iraq’
And on Saturday, the US president said it himself.
In addition, Macron, who visited Erbil following the Baghdad conference, made the same assurance on behalf of his own country.
“Our visit to Kurdistan is a message that France will not abandon its friends,” the French president told the Kurdish leadership.