According to a statement from the Information Office of the Prime Minister on Monday evening (January 28), Abdul Mahdi met with Silliman at his offices in Baghdad.

Silliman has been ambassador to Iraq since July 2016 and his term of appointment is ending soon.

According to the Prime Minister’s statement, Silliman expressed pride in what had been accomplished during his time in Iraq and praised "the Iraqi government's work toward establishing security and stability and developing Iraq in all fields."

He also stressed "the pivotal role played by Iraq in the region."

The statement said that Special Presidential Envoy to Syria and to the anti-Islamic State Coalition Jim Jeffrey, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iraq and Iran Affairs Andrew Beck, and Foreign Minister Mohammed Ali al-Hakim also attended the meeting.

US President Donald Trump has nominated current US ambassador to Yemen Matthew Tueller to be Silliman’s replacement.

Tueller, who is fluent in Arabic, also was ambassador to Kuwait and has held top positions at US embassies in Cairo, Baghdad, and Riyadh. He is a former deputy director of the State Department’s Office of Northern Gulf Affairs, according to the Associated Press.

Reporter’s code: 50101