Iraq no longer needs U.S.-led coalition forces: PM

BAGHDAD, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani said Tuesday that Iraq does not need military advisors from 25 countries to work within the mission of the U.S.-led international coalition to fight the Islamic State (IS) group.

Al-Sudani made the comments during a press conference, in which he stressed that the Iraqi government began an integrated program to improve the armament of the security forces in conjunction with seeking to end the presence of the international coalition in the country.

The justifications for the coalition's existence in 2014 have ended today, and "we are in the year 2024," al-Sudani said.

He said that the IS group no longer poses a threat to Iraq's security, adding that the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces have improved significantly and it can now maintain security throughout the country.

Al-Sudani stressed that the government hopes to move to a new phase of relations with the international coalition countries, including the economic, political and security aspects.

Al-Sudani's comment came as Iraq and the U.S.-led coalition held on Feb. 11 a new round of dialogue to discuss ending the coalition's mission in Iraq.