U.S.-Iraq Joint Coordination Committee, Education & Culture

U.S.-Iraq Joint Coordination Committee on Educational and Cultural Cooperation to Meet February 21 in Washington, D.C

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
February 15, 2012

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In partnership with the Government of Iraq, the U.S. Department of State announced today that the second meeting of the U.S.-Iraq Joint Coordination Committee on Educational and Cultural Cooperation (JCC) will be held in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Department of State on Tuesday, February 21, 2012.

This meeting, which will be co-chaired by Ann Stock, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, and Ali Al-Adeeb, Iraqi Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, will provide an opportunity for the United States and Iraq to outline key areas for collaboration in education, cultural heritage, and exchange programs as we continue to move forward in defining this new chapter in our bilateral relationship.

The Joint Coordination Committee on Educational and Cultural Cooperation is one of the eight areas of cooperation outlined in the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement, signed in 2008, and which now serves as the compass guiding the relationship between the United States and Iraq in a new era of cooperation and coordination. This meeting will provide an opportunity to follow up on initiatives discussed in this area at Higher Coordination Committee meeting chaired by Vice President Biden and Prime Minister Maliki in Baghdad in November 2011, and at the March 2011 Joint Coordination Committee meeting in Baghdad.

In conjunction with the meeting, the Embassy of Iraq, with the support of the U.S. Department of State, will host a two-day Iraqi American University Conference at the Madison Hotel in Washington, February 22-23. The conference will bring together leaders of more than 50 academic institutions from both countries with the aim of expanding partnership and linkage opportunities, research collaborations, and student and scholar exchanges.

Opening remarks of the JCC by Assistant Secretary Stock and Minister Al-Adeeb will be open to the media. Media interested in covering the JCC opening remarks should RSVP to Tyler Blackwell at BlackwellTC@state.gov. Media interested in covering the Iraqi American University Conference should contact the Embassy of Iraq’s Director of Media Relations, Raifet Ahmad at raifet.ahmad@iraqiembassy.us.

ENDS