    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [November 26, 2007]
    [Pages 1494-1495]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Joint Declaration by President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Nuri
    al-Maliki of Iraq: Declaration of Principles
    for a Long-Term Relationship of Cooperation and Friendship Between the
    Republic of Iraq and the United States of America
    November 26, 2007

        As Iraqi leaders confirmed in their Communique signed on August 26,
    2007, and endorsed by President Bush, the Governments of Iraq and the
    United States are committed to developing a long-term relationship of
    cooperation and friendship as two fully sovereign and independent states
    with common interests. This relationship will serve the interest of
    coming generations based on the heroic sacrifices made by the Iraqi
    people and the American people for the sake of a free, democratic,
    pluralistic, federal, and unified Iraq.
        The relationship of cooperation envisioned by the Republic of Iraq
    and the United States includes a range of issues, foremost of which is
    cooperation in the political, economic, cultural, and security fields,
    taking account of the following principles:
        First: The Political, Diplomatic, and Cultural Spheres
        1. Supporting the Republic of Iraq in defending its democratic
    system against internal and external threats.
        2. Respecting and upholding the Constitution as the expression of
    the will of the Iraqi people and standing against any attempt to impede,
    suspend, or violate it.
        3. Supporting the efforts of the Republic of Iraq to achieve
    national reconciliation including as envisioned in the Communique of
    August 26.
        4. Supporting the Republic of Iraq's efforts to enhance its position
    in regional and international organizations and institutions so that it
    may play a positive and constructive role in the region and the world.
        5. Cooperating jointly with the states of the region on the basis of
    mutual respect, non-intervention in internal affairs, rejection of the
    use of violence in resolving disputes, and adoption of constructive
    dialogue in resolving outstanding problems among the various states of
    the region.
        6. Promoting political efforts to establish positive relationships
    between the states of the region and the world, which serve the common
    goals of all relevant parties in a manner that enhances the security and
    stability of the region, and the prosperity of its peoples.
        7. Encouraging cultural, educational, and scientific exchanges
    between the two countries.
         Second: The Economic Sphere
        1. Supporting Iraq's development in various economic fields,
    including its productive capabilities, and aiding its transition to a
    market economy.
        2. Encouraging all parties to abide by their commitments as
    stipulated in the International Compact with Iraq.
        3. Supporting the building of Iraq's economic institutions and
    infrastructure with the provision of financial and technical assistance
    to train and develop competencies and capacities of vital Iraqi
    institutions.
        4. Supporting Iraq's further integration into regional and
    international financial and economic organizations.
        5. Facilitating and encouraging the flow of foreign investments to
    Iraq, especially American investments, to contribute to the
    reconstruction and rebuilding of Iraq.
        6. Assisting Iraq in recovering illegally exported funds and
    properties, especially those smuggled by the family of Saddam Hussein
    and his regime's associates, as well as antiquities and items of
    cultural heritage, smuggled before and after April 9, 2003.

    [[Page 1495]]

        7. Helping the Republic of Iraq to obtain forgiveness of its debts
    and compensation for the wars waged by the former regime.
        8. Supporting the Republic of Iraq to obtain positive and
    preferential trading conditions for Iraq within the global marketplace
    including accession to the World Trade Organization and most favored
    nation status with the United States.
         Third: The Security Sphere
        1. Providing security assurances and commitments to the Republic of
    Iraq to deter foreign aggression against Iraq that violates its
    sovereignty and integrity of its territories, waters, or airspace.
        2. Supporting the Republic of Iraq in its efforts to combat all
    terrorist groups, at the forefront of which is Al-Qaeda, Saddamists, and
    all other outlaw groups regardless of affiliation, and destroy their
    logistical networks and their sources of finance, and defeat and uproot
    them from Iraq. This support will be provided consistent with mechanisms
    and arrangements to be established in the bilateral cooperation
    agreements mentioned herein.
        3. Supporting the Republic of Iraq in training, equipping, and
    arming the Iraqi Security Forces to enable them to protect Iraq and all
    its peoples, and completing the building of its administrative systems,
    in accordance with the request of the Iraqi government.
        The Iraqi Government in confirmation of its resolute rights under
    existing Security Council resolutions will request to extend the mandate
    of the Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) under Chapter VII of the United
    Nations Charter for a final time. As a condition for this request,
    following the expiration of the above mentioned extension, Iraq's status
    under Chapter VII and its designation as a threat to international peace
    and security will end, and Iraq will return to the legal and
    international standing it enjoyed prior to the issuance of U.N. Security
    Council Resolution No. 661 (August, 1990), thus enhancing the
    recognition and confirming the full sovereignty of Iraq over its
    territories, waters, and airspace, and its control over its forces and
    the administration of its affairs.
        Taking into account the principles discussed above, bilateral
    negotiations between the Republic of Iraq and the United States shall
    begin as soon as possible, with the aim to achieve, before July 31,
    2008, agreements between the two governments with respect to the
    political, cultural, economic, and security spheres.

    President of the                         Prime Minister of the
     United States of America                Republic of Iraq
      George W. Bush                         Nouri Kamel Al-Maliki

    Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of
    this joint statement.