Opening Remarks by Ambassador Haslach, Assistant Chief of Mission for Assistance Transition, U.S. Embassy in Baghdad
Iraq-U.S. Economic and Energy Joint Coordination Committee
April 19, 2010
Ambassador Haslach: A-ssalamu-aleykum. The Strategic Framework Agreement was signed by our two governments in 2009 to promote a long-term relationship of friendship and cooperation between Iraq and the United States.
The Agreement covers a broad array of cooperation in such areas as defense, cultural, political and economic cooperation. Today’s meeting was one of the Agreement’s subgroups – the Economic and Energy Joint Coordinating Committee. This is the first Economic and Energy JCC co-chaired by his Excellency Dr. Shaways. It has been a pleasure for me to work with him.
Under the Strategic Framework Agreement the United States agreed to aide Iraq in building a prosperous, diversified, growing economy integrated in the global economic system and capable of meeting the essential needs of the Iraqi people. The Joint Coordinating Committee met today to receive updates on the activities of its five working groups, and considered future cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, finance, private sector development and energy.
Under the Strategic Framework Agreement the United States agreed to aide Iraq in building a prosperous, diversified, growing economy integrated in the global economic system and capable of meeting the essential needs of the Iraqi people. The Joint Coordinating Committee met today to receive updates on the activities of its five working groups, and considered future cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, finance, private sector development and energy.
Some of the specific issues that we discussed today included the budget and the IMF standby arrangement; Iraq’s path to the World Trade Organization membership; upcoming trade missions to Iraq by American businessmen and women; and development of Iraq’s oil and gas sector. Building a prosperous Iraq is in both of our interests, and I look forward to continuing to work with the Deputy Prime Minister and his colleagues to that end. Shukran jazeelan.
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