Readout of Vice President Biden’s Meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi

The Vice President called Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi today to thank him for his close partnership and leadership in the Iraqi-led campaign to liberate Mosul and all of Iraq from the terrorist group ISIL.  The Vice President also commended Prime Minister Abadi for significant Iraqi military progress in eastern Mosul in recent days and expressed condolences for all Iraqi lives lost in the fight against ISIL.  Both leaders underscored the importance of sustained cooperation between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to bolster security and ensure ISIL's lasting defeat in northern Iraq.  Both leaders also reaffirmed that the strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq will remain in the interest of both countries.