ERBIL — US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf has been scheduled to visit Baghdad and Erbil over the next few days, according to a statement released by the US State Department on Sunday.
Leaf had previously been in Jordan, where she held talks with the country’s Prime Minister, who also serves as Defense Minister, and the Deputy Prime Minister, who is also the Foreign Affairs Minister.
The State Department said that Leaf will be focusing on strengthening the partnership between the United States and Iraq during her upcoming visit.
“In both Baghdad and Erbil, the Assistant Secretary will focus on advancing our 360-degree partnership with the government and people of Iraq,” the statement added.
This will not be Leaf’s first visit to the region, as she previously visited Baghdad and Erbil in September 2022. During that trip, the United States was particularly concerned about the political stalemate that had followed the 2021 Iraqi elections.
However, the political deadlock was resolved the following month when Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani was chosen as the country’s new premier.
Source: basnews