By Staff, Agencies

Iraq said Friday that the planned end of the US-led international coalition’s military mission on September 30 will mark an important step toward strengthening the country’s sovereignty and developing bilateral relations with coalition member states.

Government spokesperson Haider Al-Aboudi told the Iraqi News Agency that the September 30 deadline represents a “sovereign milestone” based on agreements and commitments between Iraq and its international partners.

He said the end of the coalition’s military mission would allow Iraq to shift its relationship with coalition countries toward bilateral cooperation based on mutual interests and respect for Iraqi sovereignty.

Al-Aboudi said Iraq has the constitutional, political and diplomatic mechanisms, along with its own security institutions and armed forces, to manage the country’s security affairs. He emphasized that the government would continue implementing the planned conclusion of the coalition mission according to the agreed timetable.

Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi has made sovereignty a central priority of his government and designated the occasion as “Sovereignty Day.” The government says the new phase will focus on full state authority over Iraqi territory, unified security decision-making and government control over weapons and other instruments of force.

Al-Aboudi also said the government wants to strengthen stability and public confidence in state institutions in order to create a more secure environment for investment, attract businesses and capital and develop partnerships that serve Iraq’s national interests.

Al-Zaidi said last month that September 30 would be the “fixed and final” deadline for ending the international coalition’s military mission and completing the withdrawal of its forces from Iraq.

The US-led coalition was established in 2014 to combat the Wahhabi Daesh [Arabic acronym for “ISIS” / “ISIL”] after the militant group captured large areas of Iraq and Syria. Iraq declared victory over Daesh in December 2017 after recovering territory controlled by the group. Coalition forces subsequently remained in Iraq at Baghdad’s request, primarily in advisory and training roles.