Washington hands over the diplomatic support facility at Baghdad Airport to Baghdad

Baghdad - 24 - 9 (KUNA) -- The United States handed over to the Iraqi government on Thursday the diplomatic support site of the U.S. Embassy at Baghdad International Airport, as part of completing procedures related to ending the International Coalition’s mission in Iraq.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry stated in a statement that the handover ceremony was conducted by Deputy Minister for Bilateral Relations, Ambassador Muhammad Bahr al-Ulum, representing the Government of Iraq, and Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, Ambassador Stephen Vaughn, representing the Government of the United States of America.

The Foreign Ministry noted that the handover comes within the framework of the Iraqi government’s efforts to complete procedures related to ending the International Coalition’s mission and the presence of foreign military forces in Iraq, in accordance with the timeline set for September 30 of this month.

The statement quoted Bahr al-Ulum as emphasizing the importance of this step in strengthening Iraqi-American relations and transitioning them to a new phase of cooperation and partnership in several areas of mutual interest, particularly in the economic, development, and energy sectors, among others.

For his part, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Ambassador Stephen Vaughn expressed his government’s support for the Iraqi government’s efforts to develop relations between Baghdad and Washington, based on the agreements and understandings concluded between the two countries, in a manner that respects their sovereignty and opens new horizons for joint cooperation in the coming phase.

(END) A.H.H. / M.M.J.