Iraqi PM arrives at White House for meeting with Obama

WASHINGTON, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Wednesday afternoon arrived at the White House for a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama over "a broad agenda of issues of mutual concern."

"The United States and Iraq enjoy a close relationship and are partners in building a sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq through the responsible withdrawal of U.S. forces and the encouragement of new ties in trade, commerce, culture and education," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs last Wednesday.

It is the first meeting between Obama and Maliki since U.S. troops withdrew from Iraqi cities at the end of June.

The United States currently has about 13,000 troops in Iraq. According to a security agreement on the U.S. troops' status in Iraq, all U.S. troops should withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2011.