Readout of the Vice President's Meeting with Prime Minister Abadi of Iraq

In Munich today, Vice President Pence met with Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi of Iraq. He also commended Iraqi Security Forces for their battlefield successes and thanked Prime Minister Abadi for the sacrifices of the Iraqi people in our shared fight against ISIS. The Vice President also stressed that we will not allow Iran to threaten the stability of our partners in the region, including Iraq. Both leaders underscored the urgency of continued progress in the fight against ISIS, Iraq's economic recovery, and cooperation to liberate Mosul. The Vice President lauded the close ongoing cooperation between the Iraqi Security Forces and Kurdish Peshmerga. Both leaders discussed opportunities to strengthen the bilateral relationship and advance mutual interests, including through closer economic cooperation. Both leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to the long-term partnership between the United States and Iraq grounded in the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement.