Iraqi parliament speaker meets new U.S. chargé d’affaires in Baghdad

BAGHDAD — Speaker of Parliament Mahmoud al-Mashhadani met Tuesday with Joshua Harris, the new U.S. chargé d’affaires to Iraq, to discuss bilateral relations and future cooperation, his office said.

Al-Mashhadani stressed that “Iraq’s security stability and economic prosperity are closely linked,” saying stability depends on “supporting the national economy and employing youth through activating the private sector.”

Harris praised Iraq’s sacrifices in defeating terrorism, affirming that the United States is “committed to working side by side with the government and people of Iraq after the upcoming elections.” He said the U.S.-Iraq partnership “represents a strategic opportunity to build a new chapter of joint cooperation,” citing areas such as energy, electricity diversification, and investment.

Harris, who succeeded Steven H. Fagin as chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, has held a series of introductory meetings since assuming the post, including with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.

Statement from Al-Mashhadani’s media office:

Speaker of Parliament Dr. Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani received the new U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to Iraq, Mr. Joshua Harris, in his private office, in an official meeting during which views were exchanged and frameworks of strategic cooperation between the two countries were discussed.

Dr. Al-Mashhadani affirmed that Iraq’s security stability and economic prosperity are closely linked, and that achieving stability requires supporting the national economy and employing youth through activating the private sector and encouraging the entry of American companies into the Iraqi market.

The Speaker stressed that the next stage after the elections requires genuine partnerships to deepen economic and political relations, strengthen Iraq’s sovereignty and national unity, and focus on government efficiency and the application of the principle of citizenship as the foundation of the developmental approach.

For his part, Mr. Joshua Harris praised the sacrifices made by Iraq in defeating terrorism, affirming that his country is committed to working side by side with the Iraqi government and people after the upcoming elections. He noted that the U.S.-Iraq partnership represents a strategic opportunity to build a new chapter of joint cooperation based on mutual interests and the investment of energy files, including natural gas, diversification of electricity sources, and a tangible expansion of investment projects on the ground.

The two sides also discussed foreign relations and the importance of keeping Iraq away from regional conflicts, affirming that U.S. investments and economic partnerships should contribute to building a strong government and a state of citizenship founded on efficiency and national unity, while maintaining security stability, economic prosperity, and good neighborliness.

The meeting concluded that achieving these shared visions requires intensive fieldwork and ongoing meetings with the Iraqi government to enhance bilateral cooperation and establish the foundations of a long-term strategic partnership between Iraq and the United States, based on mutual respect, national sovereignty, and common interests.