The US Department of State has been communicating with Baghdad in an effort ease the current tensions in disputed areas. The department expressed the US’s commitment to Iraq’s economic and political development, describing the Arab state as \"strategic partner\". Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides said in a statement issued today that he met with Iraqi senior officials in Baghdad, including Iraq’s President Galal Talibani, Prime Minister Nuri el-Maliki, and Foreign Minister Hoshiar Zibary. He stressed that Iraq is a “strategic partner” that “plays a notable and leading role in building peaceful relations in the region.” During their talks they discussed cooperation between the two countries in different fields, including the current regional situation in the Northern Provinces and the Syrian crisis.