US seeks to strengthen ties with Baghdad, as Iraqi FM visits

Hussein was greeted warmly by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who welcomed him as “my longtime friend," while Hussein responded, “Thank you very much for your friendship—personal friend," but also as "a friend of the Iraqi people."
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein speak to the media prior to a meeting, in the Treaty Room of the US State Department in Washington, DC, on February 9, 2023. (Photo: AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein speak to the media prior to a meeting, in the Treaty Room of the US State Department in Washington, DC, on February 9, 2023. (Photo: AFP)

WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan 24) – Fuad Hussein, Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, began talks in Washington on Thursday in the first visit of a senior Iraqi delegation to the US since the country’s new prime minister, Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, took office last October.

The discussions were held within the context of the US-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement, which was concluded in 2008 by the George W. Bush administration in order to lay the basis for an enduring US relationship with Iraq, as Bush left office.

As he visited the State Department, Hussein was greeted warmly by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who welcomed him as “my longtime friend.”

“We have worked together for many years—too many years,” Blinken said. “But it’s always wonderful to have you here.”

“Thank you very much for your friendship—personal friend, but also you are a friend of the Iraqi people,” Hussein responded.

This was, as State Department Spokesperson Ned Price later explained, the first time that a meeting of the Higher Coordinating Committee of the Strategic Framework Agreement focused almost entirely on economic issues.

Those issues include stabilization of the Iraqi currency, which has experienced a sharp decline, as the US has sought to prevent Iran from circumventing sanctions by exploiting Iraq’s banking system.

Thus, in addition to his discussions at the State Department, Hussein also met with senior officials at the Treasury Department.

Hussein told Kurdistan 24 that considerable progress had been made. “The Iraqi currency will be stabilizing,” he said. Americans have a “good understanding” of the situation, while the discussions he had at the Treasury Department would have a “positive impact” on the value of the Iraqi currency.

In addition, as Blinken explained, their talks included the subject of energy development, particularly electricity generation.

“Iraq can and should be strongly energy independent, and this is something that I think the United States and others can continue to support Iraq, as it moves in that direction,” Blinken stated.

Already last year, under the previous Iraqi government, the Ministry of Electricity announced plans to increase power production and reach energy independence by 2025.

Combatting climate change was a third item on the agenda, as Ned Price told journalists, before affirming a key point: “The United States supports a strong, stable, and sovereign Iraq.”

Indeed, Hussein spoke similarly to Kurdistan 24, saying that he feels there is strong support within the US for Iraq.

Last week US President Joe Biden and Iraq’s new prime minister spoke by telephone, in preparation for Hussein’s visit. In fact, Jordan’s King Abdullah was meeting with Biden at that time and joined in on the call.

The Biden administration has been promoting relations between Iraq and America’s Sunni Arab allies, including Kuwait. If successful, that will help anchor Iraq within a set of countries with which the US has friendly ties, while the oil rich states among them may invest in Iraq, promoting its economic development.

Although diplomatic relations between Baghdad and Kuwait were restored already in 2004, tensions and mistrust generated by Saddam Hussein’s invasion have long lingered.

Until 2021, Iraq was obliged to pay reparations to Kuwait following its expulsion from the shaykhdom in the 1991 Gulf War. That debt was repaid only after 30 years.

Similarly, until 2021, Iraq was still returning archives and other property it had stolen from Kuwait during its occupation of its small southern neighbor.

Read More: Tons of Kuwaiti archives, stolen by former Iraqi regime, arrive home

The Sudani government appears to be making a serious effort to normalize ties with the Sunni Arabs. In November, a month after taking office, Sudani travelled to Jordan and Kuwait, his first official visit abroad as Iraq’s prime minister.

Read More: Iraq stress on ‘balanced relations’ with neighbors, PM Sudani tells Kuwaiti officials

Currently, Sudani is visiting the UAE, while the Saudi Foreign Minister last week was in Baghdad, where he held discussions with his Iraqi counterpart and other senior officials .