During Ambassador Faily’s recent trip to California, he met with members from the World Affairs Council and RAND Corporation, in San Francisco and Los Angeles, respectively. Ambassador Faily addressed the current challenges facing Iraq and the region and also spoke about the bilateral issues that Iraq shares with the United States.
The Ambassador shared his views about critical regional issues as they relate to Iraq’s role within the Middle East and around the world. Moreover, the Ambassador discussed Iraq's neutral stance towards the crisis in Syria and the consequences of increased violence in the region.
Ambassador Faily emphasized the importance of the Iraq-U.S. partnership and implementation of the Strategic Framework Agreement that the two countries signed before the withdrawal of American forces in 2011. The SFA defines the overall political, economic, cultural and security ties between Iraq and the United States. In addition, the Ambassador highlighted the tremendous opportunities Iraq’s economy can offer to the U.S. and other partners as it moves towards a market economy.