WASHINGTON, March 18 (KUNA) -- US Vice President Mike Pence spoke Monday with Iraq's Prime Minister Adil Abd Al-Mahdi during which they discussed "opportunities to advance the strategic partnership" between the two countries.
The Office of the Vice President said in a statement that Pence "welcomed news of Iraq's recent economic and trade agreements with Jordan and the Prime Minister's upcoming travel as major steps towards Iraq's reintegration in the region after the territorial defeat of (IS)." For his part, the Iraqi Prime Minister also updated Pence "on the Iraqi government's efforts to exhume the mass graves of (IS) genocide against Yazidis in Sinjar and the Prime Minister conveyed that he would personally investigate security and economic impediments noted by the Vice President as preventing the return of many of Iraq's religious components and other displaced persons." (end) si.ibi