Iraq stress on ‘balanced relations’ with neighbors, PM Sudani tells Kuwaiti officials

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – In his visit to Kuwait, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia’ Al-Sudani told the Gulf country’s official that Baghdad seeks “balanced relations” with its neighbors, according to a statement.

Al-Sudani arrived in the rich oil kingdom on Wednesday after his Monday visit to Jordan, where he met with King Abdulla II in the capital Amman. The twin diplomatic trips are Al-Sudani’s first official visits following assuming premiership.

Kuwaiti Crown Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah received the Iraqi premier in Kuwait City, according to a statement from Al-Sudani’s official.

The Iraqi top official stressed “Iraq’s keenness to build balanced relations with its neighbors based on mutual respect and preservation of sovereignty,” the statement read.

In early 2022, Iraq paid all of its due financial obligations resulting from the former regime of Saddam Hussein's invasion of the Gulf country in 1991. Baghdad paid $352 billion in total as war reparations over 30 years. 

Following the end of the three-year war against ISIS, Kuwait hosted a donation conference for Iraq's reconstruction efforts. Critics argue not much has been materialized from the participating countries' pledges. 

Iraq in recent years has attempted to normalize ties with its Gulf neighbors to attract their investment into the country's war-ravaged infrastructure.