BAGHDAD, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi President Barham Salih called on Wednesday for enhancing regional and international cooperation to confront extremism and fully eradicate terrorism.
After a meeting with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Baghdad, Salih asserted on the need "to decrease instability in the Arab and regional arenas" in a statement issued by his office.
Salih also stressed the importance of "strengthening international and regional cooperation to end extremism and defeat terrorism once and for all."
For his part, Pompeo confirmed that "Iraq is an important strategic partner to the U.S. in political, economic and security fields," the statement said.
He also expressed his country's readiness to "invest and contribute to the reconstruction of Iraq, especially its liberated cities."
Earlier in the day, Pompeo arrived in Baghdad on a surprise visit to meet with Iraqi leaders to discuss bilateral relations and cooperation.
According to the official Iraqiya television, Pompeo held a meeting with the Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi and is scheduled to meet with the Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi as well as other top officials.
Pompeo's visit to Baghdad is part of his tour in some Middle East countries, in which he is scheduled to reassure allies about the U.S. commitment to the region.
On Dec. 26, 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump made a surprise visit to Iraq accompanied by his wife Melania.
They landed at the al-Assad air base in Iraq's western province of Anbar to celebrate Christmas event with U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
Trump's visit ignited resentment among Iraqi political blocs despite an Iraqi prime minister's statement that Baghdad had been informed of the visit.
Recently, Trump declared a plan to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria, citing full defeat of the Islamic State (IS) militants in the country.
The troops were part of a U.S.-led coalition which has been fighting and conducting airstrikes against IS targets in both Iraq and Syria.
