The ongoing negotiations, which is framing the future U.S.-Iraq relations, needs "to be done correctly than quickly," the State Department said Thursday.
"We're continuing with our discussions with the government of Iraq. It is important to us that this be done correctly," acting State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos told a news briefing.
Admitting the UN mandate concerning the U.S. operation in Iraq runs through the end of the year, Gallegos said that "I think we have a hard deadline ...We have six months to get there. We would like to finish this as quickly as we can."
"However, we do understand that this is a negotiation. There's a lot of give-and-take. But, in the end, we plan on having a document that both governments are satisfied with," the spokesman noted.
Officials of the United States and Iraq have been trying to make a long-term agreement to frame the future relations between the two countries. Among the issues worrying the Iraqis are how long the U.S. troops will be staying in Iraq and what their future status will be.
It was reported that the United States intends to keep more than 50 military bases, maintain the right of carrying out arrests and conducting military operations without consultation with the Iraqi government. In addition, Washington also wants U.S. soldiers and contractors to enjoy legal immunity.
Iraq's government, which stresses the preservation of Iraq's territorial, maritime and aerial sovereignty along with its internal and external affairs, said that the two sides had different visions of the pact, and the negotiation was still in a nearly stage.
Source:Xinhua
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