PM Al-Sudani receives an official invitation from President Biden to visit Washington

Baghdad-INA

Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani received on Tuesday, an official invitation from President Joe Biden to visit the White House.

"Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani met in New York with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, on the margins of his participation in the meetings of the United Nations General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session," stated The Media Office of the Prime Minster in a statement, received by the Iraqi News Agency-INA.
 
During the meeting, they discussed cooperation between Iraq and the United States, focusing on strengthening partnerships across different sectors.
 
The United States Secretary of State extended an invitation from President Joseph Biden for Mr. Al-Sudani to visit the White House for further discussions on bilateral relations.
 
The statement added, “The Prime Minister appreciated the invitation and expressed his willingness to visit the White House on a date to be scheduled later. He emphasized the importance of resuming the work of the Iraq-US Joint Coordination Committee regarding the Strategic Framework Agreement between the two countries”.
 
“Al-Sudani also highlighted important milestones in bilateral cooperation, including the successful visit of the Iraqi delegation led by the Minister of Defense to Washington, and discussions related to the relationship with the Global Coalition Against Daesh,” the statement continued.
 
Prime Minister Al-Sudani expressed Iraq's desire to strengthen partnership relations with the United States in addressing the impacts of climate change and exploring opportunities in the energy sector. He also welcomed the involvement of American companies in Iraq's investment opportunities.
 
The prime minster also emphasized the significance of collaborative efforts in the security domain to combat ISIS, highlighting the increasing capabilities and combat readiness of the Iraqi security forces in maintaining security across Iraq.
 
For his part, Mr. Blinken acknowledged the practical steps Iraq has taken in diversifying energy sources, optimizing gas investment, and achieving self-sufficiency through contracts with TotalEnergies and electrical interconnection with neighboring countries. He stressed the United States' eagerness to collaborate with Iraq on addressing climate change, enhancing infrastructure development, and expanding the partnership in various domains, reiterating the United States’ support for Iraq’s stability, development, and prosperity.