US private sector interested in investing in Iraq: Blinken

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States' private sector is interested in engaging with and investing in businesses in Iraq, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday ahead of a high-level US-Iraq committee meeting in Washington DC.

Blinken co-chaired a meeting of the US-Iraq Higher Coordinating Committee (HCC) with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning Mohammed Ali Tamim, in Washington DC on Monday. The committee meeting took place after the US secretary of state met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani earlier in the day.

In their meeting, Sudani and Blinken “explored economic aspects and investment opportunities for American companies, particularly in the energy sector, and the prospects for expanding partnerships with the Iraqi private sector in areas crucial to the Iraqi market and various cooperation areas that benefit both countries,” according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.

During a briefing to the press, Blinken said Prime Minister Sudani’s visit “highlights the importance, the value we attach to the relationship between the United States and Iraq."

"Through the HCC meeting today ... We're focusing on half a dozen issues including energy, security, democracy, rule of law, climate, and water," Blinken said, adding that “The American private sector remains very interested in engaging, investing, and lending its expertise to Iraq, especially when it comes to energy.”

Sudani arrived in the US capital on Saturday. He is set to meet with US President Joe Biden on Monday. During his visit, Sudani is also scheduled to visit the Pentagon and meet with US lawmakers, companies such as General Electric and Lockheed Martin, as well as members of the Iraqi diaspora in the country.

Tamim stated that the HCC meeting will bring Iraq-US relations "to the next phase, that will activate the Strategic Framework Agreement," adding that the Iraqi government aims to widen its economic partnerships with the US.

“The Iraqi government seeks to diversify its economy through the activation of domestic industries, and governmental enterprises' adoption of a profitable model that will make the Iraqi economy open to the international markets," said Tamim.

The official schedule of the visit published by the prime minister’s office includes meetings with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Biden’s National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk, however,  government spokesperson Bassem al-Awadi noted that security is not a focus of the trip.

“The main purpose of the visit is to reactivate the Strategic Framework Agreement,” Awadi told Rudaw on Sunday.

The Strategic Framework Agreement came into effect in 2009 and seeks to normalize Baghdad-Washington relations through long-term bilateral economic, diplomatic, cultural, and security cooperation.