US-Iraq strategic talks launched with increasing national, regional support
Iraq has begun a strategic dialogue with the United States that promises to shape various aspects of the two countries' relationship.
The strategic dialogue between Iraq and the United States opened at 9 a.m. Eastern time on June 11 and continued for two hours. The first meeting in the series covered four major topics.
The first was a security discussion led by the head of the US delegation, David Hale, undersecretary of state for political affairs. Representatives of the US Department of Defense also participated in the meeting, expressing their concerns about threats against US troops in Iraq.
The second was an economic discussion led by the Iraqi side about the country's ongoing economic crisis, the government's plans to overcome it and Iraq's plan to become independent of Iranian energy exports. The US delegation emphasized the necessity of economic reforms, expressing US readiness to help Iraq, especially in the energy sector.
A third part was about the political process and organizing early elections, which Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi has promised to do. This portion, which was led by the US side, also addressed human rights in Iraq and the necessity of seeking justice for those hurt and killed in the protests that started last October. More than 700 people have been killed in the protests so far and about 30,000 wounded.
