Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) — Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi held high-level telephone discussions with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, focusing on expanding economic cooperation, trade, and industrial investment between the two nations.
According to an official statement released by the Prime Minister’s Media Office, the talks covered bilateral ties across multiple sectors, with particular emphasis on economic partnerships, trade volume expansion, direct investment, and joint migration management frameworks.
Key Discussion Pillars
- Joint Iraqi-German Fund: Prime Minister Al-Zaidi proposed establishing a dedicated joint fund to finance industrial development projects in Iraq with German technical and capital backing.
- Economic Reforms & Anti-Corruption: Al-Zaidi reiterated Baghdad’s commitment to eradicating administrative corruption and creating an open, transparent environment for foreign capital to diversify Iraq’s national economy.
- Official Invitation to Berlin: Chancellor Merz extended a formal invitation to Prime Minister Al-Zaidi to visit Germany for an official state visit to deepen economic and political coordination.
- Support for Fiscal Reform: Germany reaffirmed its support for the Iraqi government’s ongoing economic and financial reforms, expressing strong readiness from German corporations to expand investment footprints across Iraq.
The discussions highlight Baghdad’s broader diplomatic strategy of leveraging European economic integration to modernize domestic industrial infrastructure and broaden trade partnerships beyond energy exports.
