Readout of Vice President Biden's Call with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki

Vice President Biden today called Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to discuss a range of topics, including the recent high-level U.S. delegations to Iraq led by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dempsey, Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns and others. The Vice President and the Prime Minister addressed issues of regional security, including the need to prevent any state from taking advantage of Iraq's territory or air space to send weapons to Syria. The Vice President commended Prime Minister Maliki's recent leadership, and that of his counterparts in the Kurdistan Regional Government, in seeking compromise to develop Iraq's energy industry so that all of Iraq's citizens may share in its benefits. The Prime Minister expressed condolences on the recent killing of four Americans in Libya. Both leaders reaffirmed that the long-term, strategic partnership between the U.S. and Iraq is an important source of stability in the region.