I thank you. And with that, I’d like to welcome Prime Minister Maliki and give him the opportunity for some remarks.
PRIME MINISTER MALIKI: (As translated.) In the name of God, the most merciful, the passionate, thank you. I thank the President of the United States, Mr. Obama, for your warm hospitality, and regarding all the issues that related to the positive relationship as well as the aspiration to deepen that relationship.
My meeting with the President was a positive and constructive meeting. It reflected the deep conviction on the part of both sides to establish a strategic friendship and in order to continue the successes that we have achieved, and perhaps we referred to the security successes that led to the stability in Iraq.
We have also referred to the sacrifices by our sons and daughters on both sides to confront al Qaeda members, those who are outlawed and those who voice sectarian wars. If they succeeded in their efforts, they would not have been killing only Iraq but the entire region through the danger of sectarianism.
Our sons and daughters succeeded on both sides, which led to stability and the return of the strength of the Iraqi government under full sovereignty.
And among the things that we can refer to in a positive way is the positive commitment in following up with the commitments that were signed by both sides, either those are related to the status of forces, or those are related to the Strategic Framework Agreement that will govern the relationship in the future.
I have discussed today with President Obama about ways in order to activate the strategic relationship on the economic front, cultural front, educational front, commercial front, and in every possible area where the United States can play a role in supporting the Iraqi government, and the efforts of the Iraqi government to build a state of law, a state based on constitution and federalism that works for the aspiration of its own people, using the wealth of that country and that nation.
We are about to activate such a Strategic Framework Agreement. Efforts on both sides are there in order also to convene an investment conference in October of this year that will combine all foreign investors and all companies that would like and wish to work in Iraq.
All of this comes as a natural reaction to the stability and to the direction of the Iraqi National Unity government to provide what is needed for rebuilding, reconstruction of a country that was destroyed by wars, by dictatorship, and by adventures — affected its infrastructure, affected the services that should have gone to the Iraqi people. Therefore, the relationship between the two sides as it did see and witness progress on the security front and in combating terror, it will see great cooperation in the areas of economic, commercial, and cultural activities.