The United States hailed Iraq's approval of a security pact Thursday as a significant milestone that solidifies US support for Iraq's reconstruction and sets a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq in the coming years, dpa reported.
"Today is a remarkable achievement for both of our countries," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters.
Iraq's Presidential Council, comprised of President Jalal Talabani and his two vice presidents Adil Abdel Mahdi and Tariq al-Hashimi, approved the pact passed by Iraq's parliament in November.
The deal, which has been under negotiation between Iraqi leaders and the outgoing Bush administration for nearly a year, calls for US forces to pull out of Iraqi towns and cities by the end of June 2009, and withdraw from the country completely by 2011.
The US and Iraq had been under pressure to finish the deal before a United Nations mandate for US forces in the country expires at the end of this year.
The council's approval marks the last political major hurdle for the agreement, though Iraq has indicated it may hold a nationwide referendum next year. The deal does not have to be approved by the US Congress.
Iraqi leaders "recognize that they are going to continue to need our help for the next little while. But we have a path now to help our troops get home," Perino said.
US president-elect Barack Obama, in a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki Wednesday, promised to implement the security agreement, calling it a "new phase" in relations between the two countries, Iraqi national television reported.