Washington—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement:

"After months of deadlock I welcome the confirmation of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi and his new government. In this critical time I encourage Prime Minister Kadhimi to continue a strong bilateral relationship with the United States and encourage Iraqi efforts to reign in non-state militias, prevent the emergence of a reconstituted ISIS, and confront the challenges posed by the COVID pandemic. I also call on the Trump administration to ensure robust diplomatic, defense, and development engagement with Iraq in the shared interest of the American and Iraqi people."

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