Iraqi prime minister plans Washington visit for talks with Trump
Ali al-Zaidi is set to make his first foreign trip as Iraq’s prime minister, with oil, gas and investment agreements on the agenda.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is expected to travel to Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump, a visit aimed at expanding economic and strategic ties. Government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi said the week-long trip will begin Monday and will be al-Zaidi’s first foreign visit since taking office.
Al-Aboudi said the two governments are expected to sign oil and gas memorandums of understanding during the visit. He said Iraq wants to bring in US companies to help raise its oil production capacity and strengthen investment links with Washington.
The talks come as al-Zaidi seeks US investment after Iraq lost revenue from a halt in oil exports tied to the war involving Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera, AFP and Reuters reported. The Strait is a critical shipping route for Gulf energy exports, and its closure has added pressure on Iraq’s finances.
Al-Aboudi said the discussions will center on economic relations, trade and investment. The visit also carries political weight because al-Zaidi took office during a period of US pressure on Baghdad over corruption and Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, according to Al Jazeera, AFP and Reuters.
Those groups have targeted US facilities in Iraq, according to the reports. Washington has pressed Iraqi authorities to rein them in, while the continued presence of US troops and Baghdad’s relationship with Tehran have strained ties between the two countries at different points.
Al-Zaidi’s government has moved on one issue that drew US attention. Iraqi security forces arrested dozens of prominent politicians, lawmakers and officials in Baghdad in late June as part of an anticorruption drive ordered by the prime minister, Al Jazeera, AFP and Reuters reported.
The arrests were described in the reports as a step welcomed by the United States. Trump had also congratulated al-Zaidi after he was nominated for the premiership in April and said he hoped for closer cooperation between the two governments.
Iraq has recently signed several oil-sector agreements with US companies, according to Al Jazeera, AFP and Reuters. More agreements are expected during the Washington visit, including a plan for Iraq to place 500,000 barrels of oil per day into a fund in return for US help to improve Iraq’s electricity supply.
The United States has also resumed cash shipments tied to Iraq’s oil revenue, the reports said. Those revenues have been handled through the Federal Reserve Bank of New York since 2003, and the renewed shipments were presented as a sign of US backing for al-Zaidi’s administration.
The visit gives both governments a chance to reset parts of a relationship shaped by energy, security and Iran. For al-Zaidi, the immediate goal is to secure investment and energy support while showing Washington that his government is acting on corruption and militia issues.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.