Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq’s Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee welcomed on Monday the appointment of a new US envoy to Baghdad, describing it as a positive step toward strengthening relations between the two countries.

US President Donald Trump appointed an Iraqi Chaldean Mark Safaya as his special envoy to Iraq, the third such appointment since 2003, following Paul Bremer during the post-war reconstruction period and Brett McGurk during the fight against ISIS in 2014.

Read more: Mark Savaya: Who is Trump’s third Special Envoy to Iraq?

Committee member Mukhtar al-Mousawi told Shafaq News that Iraq remains closely linked to the United States economically, noting that the country’s oil revenues are deposited in the US Federal Reserve Bank, which makes developing bilateral relations essential to maintaining national economic stability.

He stressed that strengthening political and economic cooperation with the United States serves Iraq’s national interest, with direct benefits for investment and sustainable development.

"The presence of a special envoy could help bridge perspectives and address outstanding regional issues, particularly between Iran and the United States, positioning Iraq as a potential mediator rather than a party to disputes," he pointed out, adding that the Iraqi Foreign Ministry also welcomed the appointment, viewing it as a sign of Washington’s continued interest in Iraq’s stability and that of the wider region.

Meanwhile, the Coordination Framework (CF), the Shiite alliance leading Iraq’s government supported the dialogue with Washington on economic and security issues while rejecting any form of foreign interference.