Trump invites Iraq PM-designate to Washington as 162-seat bloc breaks deadlock
Shafaq News- Baghdad
US President Donald Trump on Thursday congratulated Iraq’s Prime Minister-designate Ali Faleh al-Zaidi on his formal nomination and extended an invitation to visit Washington after forming the government.
According to a statement, the two sides discussed bilateral strategic relations and ways to expand cooperation, while reaffirming joint efforts to support regional stability.
The call came about an hour after al-Zaidi received a similar call from US envoy Tom Barrack, who also conveyed congratulations and discussed strengthening ties between Baghdad and Washington.
Moreover, the European Union Mission in Iraq welcomed al-Zaidi’s nomination, stressing the need to accelerate government formation to address pressing challenges facing the country.
Al-Zaidi’s nomination follows weeks of deadlock within the Shiite Coordination Framework, the largest bloc in parliament, which holds about 162 of parliament’s 329 seats, after outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and former premier Nouri al-Maliki withdrew from the race.
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