US visit helped establish permanent relationship: Iraq PM

Baghdad, July 30 (IANS) Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said that his recent visit to Washington helped establish Iraq's "permanent relationship" with the US in various fields.Al-Kadhimi's comment on Thursday came after his visit to Washington, during which he held meetings with US President Joe Biden and other officials, according to a statement issued by his media office.The Prime Minister said his visit helped "establish the foundations of the permanent relationship and partnership with the US in various fields, the most important of which are security, economy, health, education, culture, energy, environment, investment and other aspects of constructive cooperation", reports Xinhua news agency.He underscored the agreement reached by the two countries, requiring the US to withdraw all combat forces from Iraq by the end of the year, the statement added.The relations between Baghdad and Washington have been strained since January 3, 2020, when a US drone struck a convoy near the Baghdad airport, killing Qasem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraq's paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces.The Iraqi parliament passed a resolution on January 5, 2020, requiring the government to end the presence of foreign forces in the country.
--IANS ksk/