Secretary of State John Kerry congratulated Iraq on forming a new “inclusive” government Monday, hailing the move as a major milestone for the country and a cornerstone of the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
“Just a few hours ago, overcoming the obstacle of ethnic and sectarian divides, the Iraqi parliament approved a new and inclusive government, one that has the potential to unite all of Iraq’s diverse communities for a strong Iraq, a united Iraq, and to give those communities the chance to build the future that all Iraqis desire and deserve,” he told reporters gathered in the State Department’s briefing room.
Kerry plans to travel to Jordan and Saudi Arabia this week to try to build a regional coalition to help fight ISIS. Last week, along the sidelines of the NATO summit in Wales, Kerry gathered 10 countries together to form a “core coalition” to coordinate closely and share intelligence and resources to help defeat the extremist militant group. That coalition consists of: the U.S., the U.K., France Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Poland, Denmark and Turkey.
President Obama also called Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi on Monday to applaud his efforts. He also stressed the need for the U.S. and Iraq to continue working closely, along with other countries, to counter the ISIS threat, the White House said in a read-out of the conversation.
The two also agreed on the importance of having the new government take “concrete steps” to address the aspirations and legitimate grievances of the Iraqi people.
