President Salih received on Tuesday a telephone call from US Vice President Mike Pence, during which they discussed the current situation in Iraq and the region, the Iraqi Presidency said in a statement.
They also discussed ways of developing bilateral relations so as to serve mutual cooperation between the two countries.
Pence confirmed his support for Iraq's stability and its people's aspirations in the reforms process. He highlighted the need to respect and protect the Iraqis' will and their choices away from external interference.
Salih stressed that the solutions to the current situation should be in response to the Iraqi national decision away from foreign interference, within the peaceful means in the ways that preserve security, stop the bloodshed, help to uphold the rule of law and the state, preserve the right of expression and peaceful demonstration, and promote addressing all attempts aiming at interfering in the internal affairs of the country in addition to undermine Iraq's security.
Salih also underlined the necessity of rejecting violence, maintaining the peaceful popular movement, preserving the right of the people of the homeland to express their aspirations and their demands in a manner keeping with the conduct of a democratic state. Supporting the security and military institution to carry out its duties to preserve the lives of citizens and property as well as preventing violations, the abuse citizens' rights and break the public security.