WASHINGTON, 24 July 2021, (TON): US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has said that it’s a particular pleasure to have Foreign Minister Hussein, my friend of many years, colleague of many years here at the State Department, with his delegation for the Strategic Dialogue with the United States and Iraq.

Blinken said “the closest of partners in the fight against ISIS, and we can take tremendous pride in the work we’ve done together to defeat ISIS and to make sure that it stays defeated.  But I think what today is demonstrating is that the partnership between the United States and Iraq is much broader and deeper than even the common fight against ISIS.”

He said “of course, the United States is proud to be leading international efforts to support Iraq’s elections in October, free and fair elections, so that the Iraqi people can have their voices heard and choose their leaders.”

Most of all, we are proceeding together in partnership based on mutual respect and mutual interests, and the work we’re doing is going to carry that forward.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Dr. Fuad Hussein has said on the occasion that in fact, this relationship, this partnership goes back a long way to the joint work against ISIS, and building the political (inaudible) and, for Iraq.

Our presence here in Washington is to conduct the dialogue and the discussions with the United States under the leadership of the U.S. delegation under the honorable Secretary of State Tony Blinken, and I thank him for this invitation, and we hope that the outcome of this dialogue is to serve the interests of the two countries and the two people.