Iraqi PM to visit Washington for talks on investment, security ties
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi will travel to Washington on Monday for a week-long visit. He is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday
Iraq has been seeking to balance its ties with neighboring Iran and the US as military escalation between the two rivals continues. Oil and gas deals are expected to be signed as part of a broader push for economic, trade and investment cooperation.
In an op-ed published by The Washington Post on Sunday, al-Zaidi said his government has made progress in disarming armed groups and integrating some of their members into state institutions, while working to reinforce the state's monopoly on the use of force. He said the end of the US-led Coalition mission in Iraq to defeat ISIS on September 30 should mark the beginning of "a new phase of ambitious partnership" between Baghdad and Washington.
During the visit, al-Zaidi plans to discuss expanding cooperation with US President Trump in infrastructure, energy, manufacturing, technology, and the digital economy. He said discussions would also include advancing the US-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement and further developing Iraq's security capabilities.
i24NEWS can confirm that the meeting is expected to take place on Tuesday.
Ahead of the visit, Iraq's State Administration Coalition met in Baghdad. Participants discussed how to make the most of the Washington visit in terms of Iraq's national interests and strategic relationships, and expressed support for the government's anti-corruption campaign, emphasizing that investigations should continue within the law while increasing transparency and accountability.
Al-Zaidi also briefed the Shiite Coordination Framework, the largest bloc in Iraq's parliament, on the agenda for the visit. Amer al-Fayez, a bloc member, said al-Zaidi would represent Iraq's national interests and "will not depart from the principles governing Iraqi policy."