Statement by NSC Spokesperson Adam Hodge Welcoming the Visit of Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani of Qatar to Baghdad

We welcome the visit of Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani to Baghdad on June 15. The United States fully supports Iraq's sovereignty, independence, and increasing integration into the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and broader Arab region. This includes Iraq's movement over the last year toward energy self-sufficiency through steps to connect its energy grid to the GCC's and Jordan's grids. Both of these infrastructure projects were components of President Biden's visit to the Middle East last year, and are now being achieved with active U.S. facilitation and support. Additionally, the landmark project signed earlier this year with TotalEnergies together with U.S. and Qatari companies includes natural gas capture, a project that will serve the needs of the Iraqi people while reducing emissions. We welcome the active support of Sheikh al-Thani, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, other leaders in the region, and the Iraqi people. We also welcome the participation of Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani in these discussions to further enhance coordination between Baghdad and the Iraqi Kurdistan region.