Vice President Joe Biden met with his visiting Iraqi counterpart Adil Abedel-Mahdi Thursday in the White House, discussing Iraq's upcoming parliamentary elections in March, Biden's office said.
Biden and Abedel-Mahdi talked about preparations for the March elections and the ongoing efforts to resolve outstanding national unity issues in Iraq. U.S. President Barack Obama joined part of the discussion, Xinhua reported.
Thursday's meeting was the latest in an ongoing series of high- level engagements between the United States and Iraqi officials. Biden's office said the U.S. government remains committed to a long-term partnership with the Iraqi government and people.
Iraq is slated to hold the country's second nationwide elections on March 7 since the fall of Saddam Hussein, in which Iraqis will elect a new parliament and form a new four-year-term government.
In 2005, Iraq held its first parliamentary elections since the collapse of Hussein's regime in 2003.