VZCZCXYZ0015
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGB #0297 0351720
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 041720Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1573

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 000297 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD IZ OTRA PGOV PREL SOCI
SUBJECT: IRAQI MINISTERS SEEK MEETING WITH COUNTERPARTS IN 
WASHINGTON 
 
¶1.  At a February 2 meeting with EMIN Wall, Deputy Prime 
Minister Rafa'a Al-Issawi expressed interest in leading a 
delegation of ministers to Washington, DC.  The delegation 
would include the Minister of Health, Agriculture, 
Transportation, and Electricity who would like to meet with 
their U.S. counterparts.  Issawi said the trip would 
symbolize a strong message of cooperation in the spirit of 
the Strategic Framework Agreement. He said the agenda would 
include training, exchange, and other ties across each 
agency. 
 
¶2.  Action request and recommendation: We recognize that this 
request is premature but hope that at the appropriate time we 
can strongly support the Deputy Prime Minister's proposal. 
The Deputy Prime Minister is an increasingly influential 
player in the GOI's emerging power structure.  A visit to 
Washington under his leadership would reinforce our message 
of continued support to the Iraqi government and demonstrate 
that we want to shift emphasis over time from military to 
more economic and humanitarian cooperation. 
CROCKER