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

Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry met today in Munich with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his accompanying delegation, including the ministers of Finance, Planning, and Interior, to discuss political and security developments in Iraq. The Vice President and Secretary commended Prime Minister Abadi and other Iraqi leaders on the Council of Representatives' timely passage last week of a national budget and progress on other elements of Iraq's National Program. The delegations discussed the work ahead in fighting ISIL and agreed on the importance of a whole-of-government approach to provide sound local governance, reconstruction, and economic opportunity in areas liberated from ISIL. The Vice President and Secretary underscored America's commitment to Iraq under our bilateral Strategic Framework Agreement as well as U.S. resolve to work with the Government and people of Iraq to defeat ISIL and restore Iraq's full territorial sovereignty.