U.S. ambassador, Iraqi PM jointly issue unusual statement

The U.S. ambassador to Iraq and Iraqi prime minister issued a rare joint statement on Friday in which they agreed on a timeline for resolving Iraq's political problems.

The statement, issued in English by the U.S. embassy, said "the Iraqi government has made clear the issues that must be resolved with timelines for them to take positive steps forward on behalf of the Iraqi people."

"The United States fully supports their goals and will help make them a success," it added.

The U.S. ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said on Tuesday that the Iraqi government had already agreed to set timelines for curbing violence and solving other problems.

However, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki denied the assertion on Wednesday, saying the United States has no right to impose "timetables" on his government.

Source: Xinhua