US President Donald Trump held a phone call with Iraq's new prime minister telling the latter that the US was willing to provide Iraq with economic assistance, according to an Iraqi government statement on Monday.
Mustafa al-Kadhimi received the call from Trump ahead of much anticipated talks next month that are expected to shape future Baghdad-Washington ties, according to the statement.
Trump congratulated Kadhimi for his new post and stressed that Washington is looking forward too boost bilateral tiers and “provide the necessary economic assistance to support the Iraqi economy.”
Strategic talks to take place in June will run the gamut of US-Iraq relations, from military to economic support, according to Iraqi and US officials.
Key questions, including the nature of the US troop presence in Iraq, are expected to be discussed, the Associated Press reported.
Iraqi officials and experts have warned that Kadhimi will have the difficult task balancing growing discontent among Iraqi lawmakers over the US presence in Iraq, while keeping Washington's financial and strategic support for his government.
Iraq is facing a economic crunch as oil prices plummet to historic lows. Iraq depends on crude exports to fund 90% of state expenditure.
Hours after he was inaugurated, the State Department said it would grant Iraq a 120-day waiver enabling the country to continue importing crucial Iranian electricity and gas.
Previous waivers gave Iraq just 30 days to make headway in developing domestic gas supply to meet energy needs, and were a sign of Washington's growing impatience.
