Al-Sudani to Austin: Iraq is interested in acquiring expertise, arms, and experience

Shafaq News / Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, on Monday evening Baghdad time, visited the Pentagon in Washington D.C., where he was received by the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The visit began with an official welcoming ceremony, including playing the national anthems of Iraq and the United States.

According to Al-Sudani’s media office, “During his meeting with Secretary Austin, Prime Minister Al-Sudani emphasized the Iraqi government's commitment to the relationship between the two countries, noting that it has been ten years since the formation of the Global Coalition Against ISIS during which the Iraqi people made significant sacrifices. He expressed appreciation for the international community's efforts in cooperating with Iraq to combat terrorism.”

“Prime Minister Al-Sudani highlighted that Iraqi security forces are highly prepared and announced the commencement of a partnership through the Higher Coordinating Committee to assess the military situation and the threat of ISIS, and the capabilities of the security forces. He mentioned that the committee would convene its second meeting in July to discuss bilateral cooperation in accordance with the Iraqi Constitution and the Framework Strategic Agreement.”

The statement continued, “The Prime Minister expressed Iraq's interest in acquiring expertise, arms, and experience, emphasizing the importance of security partnership, especially given the current regional conditions that require stability and prevention of escalation.”

For his part, Secretary Austin welcomed Prime Minister Al-Sudani to the Pentagon and expressed his appreciation for the ongoing partnership with Iraq, which has grown stronger under Prime Minister Al-Sudani's leadership.

“He reaffirmed the U.S.'s commitment to supporting Iraq in its fight against terrorism and looked forward to establishing a sustainable security relationship as part of the transitional work initiated last August, which led to the formation of the Higher Military Commission. He emphasized the depth of the shared security cooperation and the desire for continued dialogue to advance the strategic relations within the framework of the agreement between the two countries.”