Washington, DC - Vice President Mike Pence spoke today with Prime Minister Adil Abd Al-Mahdi of the Republic of Iraq. The two leaders discussed opportunities to advance the strategic partnership between the U.S. and Iraq, including continuing to work together to strengthen and professionalize Iraq’s Security Forces and grow Iraq’s economy.

Vice President 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 ISIS. Prime Minister Abd al-Mahdi also updated the Vice President on the Iraqi government’s efforts to exhume the mass graves of ISIS’s 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.