06/05/2020 12:33
Baghdad today - follow up
Assistant Secretary of State for Middle East Affairs David Schenker stressed that Iraq had two options during the upcoming strategic dialogue between Washington and Baghdad, noting the need for Iraqi leaders to act as a sovereign country.
"The strategic dialogue between the United States and Iraq aims to renew the relationship between Washington and Baghdad," Schenker said in an online seminar with the Middle East Institute.
Schenker added that the dialogue aims to "renew and renew our relationship with Iraq, and our strategic dialogue will be renewed next week, and we hope to have a personal meeting sometime in the next July or August, when travel and meetings are allowed."
And he added that "the strategic dialogue will chart the future of the relationship and the presence of American forces in Iraq," adding: "The strategic dialogue allows us to confront Iraqi leaders with a strict choice, if the Iraqis choose to act as a sovereign country, then bilateral relations will continue to bring great advantages to Iraq, and if they do not take this The choice is, we will not be able to maintain our commitment or our presence in Iraq. "
Schenker added that "the United States aims to build a partnership with Iraq not only in the security sector, but also politically and economically," adding that "this partnership requires that Iraq exercise sovereignty, especially when it comes to external forces, and that Iran's agents threaten the safety of US and Iraqi forces." Alliance and diplomatic personnel. "
During a press conference in Washington on April 8, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the strategic dialogue between the United States and Iraq would be held in mid-June.
Pompeo said at the time that "all strategic issues between our two countries will be on the agenda, including the future presence of US forces in that country, and the best way to support an independent and sovereign Iraq."
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