Iraq’s New Prime Minister Meets Trump in Washington to Boost Economic and Security Ties
Ali Al-Zaidi, the new Prime Minister of Iraq, arrived in the United States today, Tuesday, on his first foreign trip and is scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House. This meeting comes after Trump previously expressed support for Al-Zaidi’s nomination to the position.
The Iraqi Prime Minister’s office announced that during this one-week visit, Al-Zaidi will lead an official delegation to hold discussions with American officials as well as representatives of oil and energy companies. The primary focus of these meetings will be to strengthen economic cooperation and attract investment for Iraq’s infrastructure projects.
According to a statement from Al-Zaidi’s office, the goal of this trip is to “expand economic and developmental partnerships, attract investments, increase the role of American companies in implementing infrastructure projects,” and to further develop Iraq’s energy sector. Baghdad aims to leverage this opportunity to foster economic growth and rebuild some of the damaged areas.
However, security issues are also expected to play a significant role in the bilateral talks. Topics likely to be discussed include the disarmament of groups known as resistance factions and the process of withdrawing US forces from Iraq.
Prior to his trip, the Iraqi Prime Minister wrote an article in The Washington Post, emphasizing his government’s commitment to “ensuring the state’s exclusive legitimate use of force.” He stressed that Iraq prefers a path of development over involvement in regional conflicts and tensions.
The Iraqi government has set the end of September as the deadline for armed groups to surrender their weapons, coinciding with the conclusion of the US-led international coalition’s mission in the country.
