Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi will visit the United States next week to address the UN General Assembly and meet with President Donald Trump, as Baghdad aims to pivot its relationship with Washington away from security cooperation and toward long-term commerce and investment.
According to government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi, Al-Zaidi will give Iraq’s presentation to the UN General Assembly in New York, as well as meet with Trump and other international leaders.
He is also slated to attend an economic-related conference of the United States Chamber of Commerce.
The trip comes barely two months after Al-Zaidi’s first official visit to the United States, during which Baghdad announced 48 agreements and collaborations with American corporations spanning energy, infrastructure, technology, healthcare, and finance.
During discussions in Washington and Houston, Al-Zaidi advocated for more US investment in Iraq and met with leaders from key American corporations.
According to the US Chamber, the agreements and memorandums announced during the visit were worth more than $60 billion and included corporations such as Chevron, ConocoPhillips, GE Vernova, Google, JPMorgan Chase, and PepsiCo.
Al-Zaidi also met with Chevron officials in Houston as Iraq explored agreements for large oilfields and new export infrastructure aimed at diversifying the country’s pathways to international markets.
The current visit takes place only days before the conclusion of the US-led coalition operation in Iraq on September 30.
Al-Aboudi regarded the date as a watershed moment for Iraqi sovereignty, stating that relations with Washington will shift toward long-term economic collaboration, boosting Al-Zaidi’s desire to make investment and private-sector links the basis of the next phase of the Iraq-US relationship.
