Government Spokesman: Iraqi Prime Minister's Washington Visit to Focus on Economic Partnership

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Iraq's upcoming official visit to Washington will be centered primarily on expanding economic cooperation with the United States, government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi said on Sunday, announcing that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi will depart for the US on Monday at the head of an official delegation.

According to al-Aboudi, the July 13 visit comes at a sensitive moment for the region and is intended to strengthen Iraq's balanced foreign relations based on mutual interests while advancing the government's ministerial program to deepen ties with Washington.

Al-Aboudi said the visit will focus on encouraging investment across key sectors, particularly energy, trade, and technology, through cooperation with US partners.

He added that al-Zaidi is scheduled to hold high-level meetings with US President Donald Trump, senior American officials, and representatives of economic and financial institutions to expand dialogue and strengthen bilateral cooperation.

The government spokesperson also announced that several memorandums of understanding will be signed within the framework of the Iraqi-American Development and Energy Fund.

"The new and distinctive aspect of this visit, compared with previous ones, is its concentration on the economic dimension," al-Aboudi said. "The nature of Iraq's relationship with the United States is evolving from crisis management toward a long-term economic partnership."

Addressing broader bilateral relations, al-Aboudi stressed that no amendments have been made to the Strategic Framework Agreement between Iraq and the United States, adding that all new understandings will be implemented within its existing framework.

He also said Iraq continues working to strengthen its regional position while playing what he described as a positive role in promoting regional rapprochement.

On internal affairs, al-Aboudi said the government's policy of ensuring that weapons remain exclusively under state control is "a purely Iraqi decision" aimed at creating a favorable environment for investment and long-term stability, which he said would ultimately support Iraq's economic recovery.

Regarding domestic politics, he said completing the remaining ministerial positions depends on political consensus among Iraq's parties, adding that the government continues working through dialogue to resolve the remaining vacancies in the cabinet.

The visit comes as the Iraqi government seeks to place greater emphasis on economic cooperation with the United States, with discussions expected to focus on investment, energy, technology, and the signing of new memorandums of understanding under the Iraqi-American Development and Energy Fund.

According to the government, the trip reflects a broader effort to shift bilateral relations from managing crises toward building a long-term economic partnership while maintaining the existing Strategic Framework Agreement.

With senior-level meetings and new economic agreements on the agenda, Baghdad says the visit is intended to open a new chapter in Iraq-US relations by placing long-term economic cooperation at the center of the partnership.