The following is the text of a joint statement by the Iraq Navy and U.S. 5th Fleet:

Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, met with Staff Vice Adm. Ahmed Jasim Maarij Al-Zayed, commander of the Iraq Navy, July 25, in Baghdad, Iraq, to discuss future opportunities for maritime security cooperation in the Arabian Gulf.

The two leaders shared their visions for regional maritime security and agreed to continue to strengthen relations through the exchange of intelligence information and experiences to provide training opportunities that will enhance the proficiency of members of the Iraqi naval force as officers and enlisted, and to continue the naval patrols of all regional countries in the Arabian Gulf in order to maintain maritime security and promote the free flow of commerce and stability in regional and international waters.