ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — US Ambassador to Iraq Douglas Silliman said he sees great potential in a country where hurdles still exist during a statement to mark the end of his posting to Baghdad on Thursday.
"Iraqis [need] to be relieved of corruption and bureaucratic obstacles to unleash their full potential," he said in a recorded statement released by the embassy.
He noted that 1 million young Iraqis enter the job market every year.
"[They] must be the backbone of a stable and prosperous Iraq in the future," Silliman emphasized.
The Obama administration appointee urged for an open and vibrant private sector.
"Our economic ties are growing and American companies want to invest and do business here. More importantly, opportunities for the Iraqi private sector continue to increase," he said.
Silliman arrived in Baghdad at the height of the ISIS conflict on September 1, 2016.
"Throughout my time here, our unparalleled security cooperation with the Iraqi Security Forces has united, stabilized, and strengthened Iraq," he said.
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared ISIS defeated in December 2017.
"It has been my honor and privilege to serve as the American Ambassador to Iraq for the past two and a half years," he said.
US President Donald Trump has tipped current Ambassador to Yemen Matthew Tueller to replace Silliman pending Senate approval.
"As my assignment ends, I want all Iraqis to know that I see great potential for a truly democratic, sovereign, independent, and prosperous," he added.
Tueller, also a career foreign service officer like Silliman, has been posted throughout the Middle East since 2000. Both are fluent in Arabic.
More than 4 million displaced Iraqis have returned home, but another 1.8 million remain displaced.