Iraq’s PM reiterates necessity of activating US-Iraqi Security Agreement

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq‘s Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, has reiterated in a reception here on Monday of visiting U.S. Commander of the Joint Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, the necessity to activate the Strategic Security Agreement, signed between Iraq and Washington. “The Prime Minister has also reaffirmed during the meeting the significance of further strengthening of Iraq‘s relations with the United States in different fields, as well as the activation of the Strategic Security Agreement,” a statement by the Prime Minister’s office said on Tuesday. It stressed that Maliki had also called during the meeting, attended by the U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad, on the Unites States to “render support for the Iraqi Armed Forces and Security bodies in the fields of training, armament and developing Iraqi expertise in these fields.” Admiral Mullen, on his part, has reiterated “the U.S. Administration’s support for Iraq in all fields, especially in training and armament, highly assessing the current progress of the Iraqi Armed Forces and the Iraqi security bodies,” the statement added. SKH/SR 1