ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - In a meeting in Washington DC on Friday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed an array of different topics and ways to enhance bilateral relations across several fields.

The Iraqi top diplomat arrived in the US capital on Friday for a series of meetings with American officials aimed at “strengthening” bilateral relations between Baghdad and Washington.

“The two sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation, particularly in the political, security, and economic fields,” read a statement from the Iraqi foreign ministry on the meeting between Hussein and Rubio.

Security cooperation and efforts to combat terrorism were highlighted during the meeting, with Hussein praising the US’ role and leadership of the global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS).

“Secretary Rubio affirmed his country's commitment to supporting Iraq's stability, commending the joint efforts made in combating ISIS,” the statement added.

The US has approximately 2,400 military personnel deployed in Iraq. US forces were deployed to Iraq at the request of the Iraqi government in 2014 to fight ISIS, which had then overrun large swathes of Iraqi territory in the north and west of the country.

“On the economic front, the Minister [Hussein] noted that Iraq has begun taking concrete steps toward diversifying its energy sources and reducing its dependence on imported gas.”

In early March, the US declined to renew a sanctions waiver allowing Iraq to buy electricity from Iran as part of President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran.

Iranian gas supplies account for between 30 to 40 percent of Iraq’s energy needs.

Hussein confirmed to Rubio that Iraq has started importing electricity from other countries, calling on American firms to increase investment in Iraq, according to the statement.

“The two sides discussed ways to strengthen the economic and trade partnership, noting the recent visit of a delegation of American companies and the private sector to Iraq and the opportunity it represents to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries in the public and private sectors.”

Signed in 2008, the Strategic Framework Agreement seeks to normalize US-Iraq relations through building strong economic, diplomatic, cultural, and security ties. The agreement serves as the cornerstone for a long-term bilateral relationship between Baghdad and Washington based on mutual goals.

Iraq’s proximity and close ties to Iran have rendered the country unable to strike a balance between the US and Iran in terms of international relations, with Baghdad facing mounting pressures from the US to limit its ties to Tehran, including the disarming of Iran-backed militia groups.