Biden thanks Sudani for ‘strengthening’ Iraq’s economy, energy independence

15-04-2024
Karwan Faidhi Dri
Karwan Faidhi Dri @KarwanFaidhiDri
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US President Joe Biden on Monday received Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani in the Oval Office, thanking him for “strengthening” Iraq’s economy and energy independence.
 
Sudani arrived in Washington on Saturday, marking his first visit to the US as the prime minister of Iraq. He was received by Biden in the Oval Office.

During a meeting attended by the media, the US President thanked Sudani for his "focus on strengthening Iraq's economy and energy independence,” adding that  “That's a goal we share today with you and we are going to discuss that later today."

A meeting behind closed doors between the two leaders will take place later in the evening.

The United States last month renewed a waiver exempting Iraq from abiding by Washington’s sanctions on Iran, allowing Baghdad to buy electricity from Tehran. Baghdad has accelerated its efforts to reduce its energy dependence on Iran to zero, planning to buy natural gas from the Kurdistan Region. The waiver helps Iraq bypass existing US sanctions on Iranian exports.

Earlier on Monday, Sudani met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. They “explored economic aspects and investment opportunities for American companies, particularly in the energy sector, and the prospects for expanding partnerships with the Iraqi private sector in areas crucial to the Iraqi market and various cooperation areas that benefit both countries,” according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.

Sudani told Biden that their meeting is “significant” for US-Iraq bilateral relations.
 
“This visit is important in the relationship between the two countries, which is witnessing an important turning point,” he said. 

Security ties

Biden also told Sudani that Washington is "committed to the security of our personnel and partners in the region, including Iraq,” describing the US-Iraq partnership as “critical,” and stressing that “We've seen [this] over the last decade as our troops have served side by side to help defeat ISIS, and we have seen this in our Strategic Framework Agreement as well."

The Strategic Framework Agreement came into effect in 2009 and seeks to normalize Baghdad-Washington relations through long-term bilateral economic, diplomatic, cultural, and security cooperation.

“We aim to discuss the sustainable foundations for a comprehensive and long-term relationship with the United States, ensuring a smooth and systematic transition from a military and security-based relationship to a comprehensive economic, political, environmental, educational, and security partnership according to the Strategic Framework Agreement,” Sudani told Biden in the Oval Office. 
 
“We have achieved a remarkable victory [against ISIS] thanks to the sacrifices of the Iraqi people and the unity of all its components and the support of the international community and the global coalition,” he added. 

ISIS rose to power in 2014, seizing vast swathes of Syrian and Iraqi land in a brazen offensive and declaring a so-called “caliphate.”

While the group was declared territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017 and Syria in 2019, it still continues to pose serious security risks through hit-and-run attacks, bombings, and abductions, especially across expanses of the Syrian desert as well as several Iraqi provinces where there are security vacuums.

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