Iraq-US strategic partnership

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, during a meeting with US President Joe Biden in Jeddah on Saturday, reiterated Baghdad's intention to maintain a strategic partnership with Washington.

"We will develop bilateral relations with the US on the basis of strategic cooperation, mutual trust and respect," the Iraqi prime minister said.

Biden, speaking to reporters with Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, said Iraq "has great oil resources". "There's a lot of money that can be invested in developing them," he said. And it is important for us to maintain good relations with Iraq."

Mustafa Al-Kadhimi met with Joe Biden at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. It is worth noting that the Arab-American summit will be held later in the hotel.

At a press conference in Baghdad on Friday, the prime minister said he wanted to "zero in on problems and strike a balance in relations with all states". In Jeddah, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two sides agreed to connect Iraq to the Gulf Cooperation Council's common electricity grid, giving the country an additional 1,000 MW.

It is worth noting that earlier in an article published in Foreign Policy magazine, the Iraqi prime minister pointed out that much has changed in the Middle East since Biden's previous tour as US vice president to the region in 2016. "A group of leaders has emerged in the political arena who are seeking positive change," he stressed.

"These people are looking for solutions to complex problems such as terrorism, food security, climate change."