Vice President Harris Meets with Leaders of Iraq, Slovenia and Israel
Vice President Kamala Harris met with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani of Iraq today in Munich, Germany. The Vice President and Prime Minister Sudani reaffirmed their mutual interest in a strong and enduring partnership as envisioned in the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement. The Vice President emphasized the commitment of the United States to supporting Iraq in achieving a secure and stable future for its people, which is critical to ensuring a prosperous and interconnected Middle East.
The Vice President urged the Iraqi government to prevent attacks against U.S. personnel and expressed appreciation for the Prime Minister’s efforts to date. She stated that the United States has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and will act, as needed, in self-defense.
The leaders also discussed the importance of continuing the U.S.-Iraq Higher Military Commission, which will enable the transition to an enduring bilateral security partnership between the United States and Iraq and is the natural next step to build on the very successful collaboration of the past 10 years between Iraq and the Defeat ISIS coalition.
The two leaders also discussed the importance of continuing U.S.-Iraq economic and energy cooperation through the High Coordinating Committee and continuing to economically integrate Iraq into the broader region. The Vice President reiterated President Biden’s invitation to Prime Minister Sudani to visit the White House.
Meeting with Prime Minister Robert Golob of Slovenia
Vice President Kamala Harris met today with Prime Minister Robert Golob of Slovenia in Munich, Germany. The Vice President welcomed Slovenia’s election to and membership on the United Nations (UN) Security Council for 2024-25, and the leaders expressed their commitment to coordination there on the basis of our shared democratic values and commitment to the principles of the UN Charter. The Vice President thanked Slovenia for its contributions to humanitarian and security assistance in Ukraine and for welcoming and protecting Ukrainian refugees.
The Vice President and Prime Minister discussed the importance of a strong NATO and NATO-EU cooperation and continued Allied support and cooperation to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and democracy.
The Vice President and Prime Minister further committed to continue strengthening and deepening our countries’ bilateral relationship and to work together through multilateral institutions to confront the range of challenges affecting Transatlantic security. They also discussed opportunities for closer cooperation to advance European energy security.
Meeting with President Herzog of Israel
Vice President Kamala Harris met today with President Isaac Herzog of Israel in Munich Germany. The Vice President reiterated her steadfast support for Israel and its right to defend itself in the face of threats from Hamas, and she again condemned Hamas as a barbaric terrorist organization that perpetrated a horrific massacre on October 7. The Vice President and President discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of all hostages held by Hamas and achieve a prolonged pause in fighting.
The Vice President also emphasized the importance of protecting civilians, increasing humanitarian assistance, and ensuring proper deconfliction mechanisms to ensure that aid can reach those in need inside Gaza.
The Vice President reaffirmed the Biden-Harris Administration’s position that a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there.
The leaders also discussed ongoing planning for post-conflict Gaza and progress made on that front, and the Vice President reiterated U.S. positions, including that Israel must be secure, there must be no forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, and the Palestinians must enjoy their right to freedom, dignity, security, and self-determination.
Source: The Office of the Vice President