Prime Minister Muhammad Al-Sudani confirmed that Iraq seeks to continue strategic relations with the United States.

A statement from his media office said in a statement, “Prime Minister Muhammad Al-Sudani met in New York, after midnight on Wednesday (Baghdad time), with the US President’s special envoy to the Middle East and North Africa, Brett McGurk, on the sidelines of his participation in the 78th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

It added, "They discussed the overall relations between Iraq and the United States, and ways to strengthen and develop them at various levels and fields, in a way that serves the interests of the two friendly peoples."

The Prime Minister affirmed Iraq's endeavor to pursue strategic relations with the United States, based on mutual interests and constructive economic partnership, indicating that the investment arena in Iraq is open for American companies to contribute to the reform and reconstruction plans of Iraqi infrastructure.

Al-Sudani renewed the readiness of the Iraqi security forces, the advanced level of performance and integration of their units in various kinds, and their success in pursuing the terrorist remnants of ISIS, stressing the investment of the successful visit recently conducted by an Iraqi delegation headed by the Minister of Defense to Washington, and his discussion with the American side about the future relationship with the international coalition to combat Terrorism.

For his part, McGurk affirmed his country’s support for the success of the reform steps pursued by the government, and the United States’ continued provision of advice and training to the Iraqi forces in their fight against ISIS, reiterating the American administration’s commitment to the Strategic Framework Agreement, and supporting the reforms undertaken by the government, in the economic fields, infrastructure reconstruction, and combating corruption.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency