US Secretary of State Antony Blinken received Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein at the State Department headquarters in Washington on Tuesday.
Blinken said during a joint press conference that the State Department was pleased with the visit of the Iraqi foreign minister and that they look forward to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s upcoming visit on April 15.
He stated Tuesday’s meeting was part of the US strategy for relations between the two countries and that Washington sees Iraq as an important part of regional peace, adding relations between Iraq and the US were strong.
Blinken said the issues of energy, water, climate change, and regional challenges were discussed.
Hussein noted Iraq and the US are important and strategic partners, adding the two countries defeated the Islamic State together.
The foreign minister stressed that the US will help rebuild Iraq.
He said he was happy to be in the United States where he was meeting with several officials, noting it was important to exchange their views on the issues.
Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi told Iraqi News Agency earlier that the main topic of the prime minister’s upcoming visit to Washington is to discuss the prospects of future relations after the international coalition and to move on to comprehensive relations between both sides, including the fields of security, the military, and reform.
