Al-Sudani Meets with Iraqi Community in Washington

INA-  BAGHDAD


Media Office of the Prime Minister said in a statement obtained by the Iraqi News Agency INA that “During his official visit to the United States, Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani met with representatives of the Iraqi community in Washington D.C. and other U.S. states.”

The statement said that “Prime Minister Al-Sudani expressed his pride and appreciation for the Iraqi communities in the United States and around the world, emphasizing that Iraq belongs to all Iraqis. He stressed the country's need for the expertise, experiences, and initiatives offered by Iraqi figures in the United States of America.”

It also said that “Prime Minister Al-Sudani announced that his government is working on establishing a department for Iraqi Expatriates Affairs to foster effective communication with Iraqi communities worldwide, seeking out expertise without political partisanship.”

The statement added that the main points discussed by the Prime Minister during his meeting with the Iraqi community in the United States are as follows: 

 
He also stated that “The United States has granted Iraq customs exemptions and signed a memorandum with financial institutions valued at 5 billion dollars, all of which are not yet activated under the Iraqi-US Strategic Framework Agreement.”
 
“Iraq today is different from what it was in 2014; ISIS no longer poses a threat to Iraq, and we aim to transition to bilateral relations with the international coalition countries after our victory over ISIS, similar to other countries in the region, including security relations.”
 
He said according to the statement that “The first meeting of the Higher Coordinating Committee stipulated in the Strategic Framework Agreement will be held, and there will be regular meetings for this committee, confirming that Iraq today is experiencing unprecedented recovery, stability, security, genuine development, and tangible services across the entire country.”
 
 “The government's first step was to reform the oversight institutions, and our measures in fighting corruption are professional, not vindictive, affirming that we have recovered significant amounts of money and individuals wanted for corruption cases who hold other nationalities; some of the wanted have voluntarily surrendered themselves to the authorities,” he affirmed.
 
The prime minister made notice of “Signing contracts with Total and proceeding with the fifth licensing round and our national strategies will enable Iraq to achieve self-sufficiency in gas within 3 to 5 years, highlighting that projects related to oil have been initiated.”

 “Iran is a neighboring country with which we share common interests, and the United States is a strategic ally; our relationship with them is significant, affirming that the relationship with both Iran and the United States is an advantage for Iraq, which can be used to reduce tension, and this has been the case in all regional crises,” he stated.
 
The prime minister further said that “The U.S. Treasury has voiced concerns regarding the operation of Iraqi banks in previous years, not during the current government, which has implemented the electronic platform for financial transactions, noting that the industrial and agricultural sectors and reactivated idle factories have been revitalized, such as those producing fertilizers, iron, and steel.”
 
He confirmed that “The foundation of economic revival is believing in the role of the private sector, which has been supported by the government, assuring that the Development Road and Al-Faw Grand Port projects will create a new Iraq since it offers a low-cost and faster means for transporting goods, and the initial agreements will be signed during the upcoming visit of the Turkish President.”