Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani in New York. The Secretary and Prime Minister discussed urgent efforts to avoid further escalation of the conflict in the region. They emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Iraq strategic partnership, including a commitment to expand cooperation on economic development and continue to build ties between our two peoples. The two leaders reaffirmed the shared vision to build an enduring security partnership that advances regional stability, including continuing discussions on transitioning the military mission of the D-ISIS coalition in Iraq to ensure the defeat of ISIS.
The Secretary emphasized the need to reopen the Iraq-Türkiye oil pipeline to encourage continued foreign investment in the Iraqi economy and commended Iraq’s commitment to achieve energy independence by 2030. The Secretary affirmed U.S. support for the Prime Minister’s agenda to modernize the Iraqi economy, including by combatting corruption and reforming the financial sector. The Secretary underscored the United States’ commitment to ongoing efforts to support a stable, secure, and sovereign Iraq that benefits the people of Iraq and the broader region.
