"Your important relationship between the Kingdom and Iraq is vital to bolstering our collective security and prosperity, and we take great interest in it. The United States supports enhanced cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Iraq across many pillars of the Coordination Council," US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, addressing Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi after the inaugural meeting of the Saudi-Iraq Coordination Council.
On Wednesday, Iraq and Saudi Arabia resumed air traffic, which was halted 27 years ago following the invasion of then-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's troops in Kuwait. In 2016, the Saudi embassy resumed its work in Baghdad for the first time since the aforementioned events.
On Qatar Diplomatic Crisis
Tillerson has expressed hope that Saudi-led group of Arab countries and Qatar would return to dialogue to resolve the diplomatic conflict between the states over the latter's alleged support of terrorism.
The statement comes just days after the US state secretary expressed skepticism about the prospects of the settlement of the Persian Gulf conflict blaming some countries for lack of desire to cooperate for the settlement of the dispute.
In early June, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates broke off diplomatic relations with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs. Through Kuwait, which is acting as a mediator in the crisis, the four Arab states handed over an ultimatum containing 13 demands to Doha, but the country has refused to comply with them.
