Baghdad eager to 'strengthen the Iraqi-American partnership'

Mustafa Shilani 2021/04/07 21:55

This tour is the third of its kind between the two countries, as the first was held last June, while the second was held in August 2020. (Photo: Archive)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told journalists on Wednesday that his government was eager to bolster its ongoing cooperation with the United States following the resumption of strategic talks between the two countries and a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

At a press conference in Baghdad, Hussein advocated for "strengthening partnership projects with Washington in various vital areas."

He stressed the importance of "the partnership in the field of investment between Baghdad and Washington, in various sectors," calling on the US to "strengthen the Iraqi-American partnership through memoranda and agreements signed between the two countries."

Blinken wrote on Twitter: “It was a privilege to speak with Iraqi Foreign Minister Dr. Fuad Hussein at my first US-Iraq Strategic Dialogue as Secretary of State. I'm optimistic about the road ahead after the review of the progress we've made in each area of our broad and strategic partnership.”

The third round of the strategic dialogue between Iraq and the US includes issues related to security, energy, and the economy, as well as cooperation in the fields of culture and education.

The Kurdistan Region is represented on the Iraqi side, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said Wednesday.

The first US-Iraq strategic dialogue meeting was held last June by videoconference due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The second round began in Washington in mid-August, as then US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a high-level meeting with an Iraqi delegation.

The visiting Iraqi dignitaries also met with President Donald Trump, the Secretaries of Defense and Energy, and other senior US officials.

Editing by John J. Catherine