Iraqi Speaker of Parliament Mahmoud al-Mashhadani met with the new U.S. chargé d'affaires in Iraq, Joshua Harris, on Tuesday to discuss the importance of shielding the country from regional conflicts. Both emphasized that American investment and economic partnerships should contribute to building a strong government.

The meeting took place in al-Mashhadani’s private office, where the two exchanged views and explored frameworks for strategic cooperation between the two countries.

In a statement issued by the Iraqi Parliament, al-Mashhadani affirmed that “Iraq’s security stability and economic prosperity are closely linked, and achieving stability requires supporting the national economy and creating job opportunities for youth through activating the private sector and welcoming American companies into the Iraqi market.”

He also stressed that “the next phase after the elections requires genuine partnerships to deepen economic and political relations, strengthen Iraq’s sovereignty and national unity, and focus on government efficiency and the application of citizenship as the foundation of the developmental approach.”

For his part, Joshua Harris praised “the sacrifices Iraq has made in defeating terrorism” and confirmed that “his country is committed to working side by side with the Iraqi government and people after the upcoming elections.”

He pointed out that “the U.S.-Iraq partnership represents a strategic opportunity to build a new chapter of joint cooperation based on mutual interests, investment in energy sectors—including natural gas—diversifying electricity sources, and expanding investment projects in tangible ways on the ground.”

According to the statement, the two sides also discussed “foreign relations and the importance of keeping Iraq out of regional conflicts, affirming that American investment and economic partnerships should help build a strong government and a citizenship-based state founded on efficiency and national unity, while preserving security stability, economic prosperity, and good neighborly relations.”

The meeting concluded that “achieving these shared visions requires intensive fieldwork and ongoing meetings with the Iraqi government to strengthen bilateral cooperation and lay the foundations for a long-term strategic partnership between Iraq and the United States, based on mutual respect, national sovereignty, and shared interests,” the statement said.