Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Iraqi government announced Wednesday a September deadline for completing the state weapons monopoly, to coincide with the scheduled withdrawal of Global Coalition forces from the country, alongside the establishment of a 150-billion-dollar international development fund aimed at driving economic stability through investment.

Government spokesperson Haider al-Abboudi, speaking at a press conference in Baghdad, said the deadline is embedded in the ministerial program approved by parliament and will run concurrently with the conclusion of the coalition's mission in Iraq.

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The Council of Ministers, he added, has approved the drafting of a program budget in coordination with the World Bank and the parliamentary finance committee to advance economic reform.

The development fund, al-Abboudi clarified in response to a question from Shafaq News correspondent, is an independent investment vehicle entirely separate from the state's general budget. It will draw on contributions from Iraq's international partners, with guarantees ranging from 100 to 150 billion dollars, and is designed to support sustainable economic stability through investment rather than direct state expenditure.

Al-Abboudi pointed out that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's upcoming visit to the United States will focus primarily on economic matters, while stressing that Iraq maintains balanced relations with all countries.

On the Kurdistan Region, the spokesperson said al-Zaidi has directed oil companies operating in the region to increase production, to generate the financial outcomes needed to secure public sector salaries and resolve the ongoing fiscal crisis.