Readout of the President’s Call to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of Iraq

The President called Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi today to congratulate him and the Iraqi people on the approval of a new Iraqi government.  The President applauded the efforts of Prime Minister Abadi and other Iraqi leaders in forming a new, broad-based government, and underscored the need for the United States and Iraq to continue working closely with the international community to build on recent actions to counter the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).  The Prime Minister expressed his commitment to work with all communities in Iraq as well as regional and international partners to strengthen Iraq’s capabilities to fight against this common enemy.  The President and the Prime Minister agreed on the importance of having the new government quickly take concrete steps to address the aspirations and legitimate grievances of the Iraqi people.  Both leaders expressed their support for a strong, strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq, and the President underscored his commitment to coordinating closely with Prime Minister Abadi and his government as we advance our strategy to combat ISIL.