WASHINGTON — President Obama, welcoming Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq to the White House on Monday, said that after nearly nine years of war, Iraq had become a “sovereign, self-reliant and democratic” country that could serve as a model for aspiring democrats across the Middle East.

Mr. Obama, who as a young politician labeled Iraq a “dumb war” and campaigned on a pledge to end it, used language reminiscent of the Bush administration to justify the costly commitment of American lives and treasure. Thanks to these sacrifices, he said, “what we have now achieved is an Iraq that is self-governing, that is inclusive and that has enormous potential.”

The two leaders appeared at a news conference after a morning of meetings, and a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, meant to mark a historic milestone in the relationship between the countries as the last American military convoy prepared to roll out of Iraq this month.

Yet the meetings also underscored the nations’ continuing ties, with Mr. Obama making it clear that the United States would supply Iraq with military hardware and training for years to come. The administration announced it would sell 18 more F-16 fighter jets to Iraq, helping rebuild an air force destroyed by war, and Mr. Maliki said he was seeking other military equipment.