Iraq, U.S. form commission to discuss ending U.S.-led coalition's presence

BAGHDAD, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Iraq said on Thursday that it agreed with the United States to form the Higher Military Commission (HMC) to discuss the end of the U.S.-led international coalition's mission in Iraq.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the ongoing negotiations between the two sides, which began in August 2023, ended with launching the HMC at the level of working groups.

The commission will assess the threat posed by the Islamic State (IS) and evaluate the capabilities of Iraqi security forces, in order to formulate a clear timetable for the gradual reduction of international coalition advisors in Iraq and the end of the coalition's military mission, according to the statement.

After the coalition's end, Iraq will move to comprehensive bilateral relations with the coalition countries at the political, economic, cultural, security and military levels, the statement said.