Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi will travel to Washington on Monday at the head of a high-level delegation for talks aimed at strengthening bilateral ties, with a particular focus on the oil sector, marking his first official foreign visit since taking office on May 1.

Speaking at a press conference, government spokesperson Haider Al-Aboudi said the July 13 trip reflects Iraq's policy of pursuing "balanced foreign relations based on shared interests.”

During the visit, Al-Zaidi will meet US President Donald Trump and other senior US officials, as well as representatives of economic and financial institutions and companies to expand cooperation and investment. Iraq and the United States are also expected to sign memorandums of understanding covering the oil and gas sector, including the involvement of specialized US companies to boost Iraq's oil and gas production capacity and develop export routes that would reduce the impact of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Unlike previous visits, Al-Aboudi said, the trip will focus primarily on the economy, including memorandums of understanding between the Iraqi and US development and energy funds.

The official described the visit as an opportunity to move Baghdad's relationship with Washington "from crisis management to a long-term economic partnership." As part of that effort, discussions will include a joint coordination mechanism under which Iraq would allocate limited volumes of oil exports in exchange for services provided by US companies to support the country's development needs.

Read more: Al-Zaidi to Washington with energy deals front, “militia file” unresolved