A Saudi ministerial delegation kicked off on Sunday an official visit to Baghdad.
The visit will pave the way for an upcoming meeting between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minster of Defense, with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
Sunday’s trip was aimed at bolstering bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq in various fields.
Headed by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadli, the delegation met with Kadhimi and parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi.
The premier had declared in August that Saudi Arabia was a real partner for Iraq and that his country was looking forward to building unique ties with it in order to establish a better future.
Gulf Arab countries are a “strategic depth” for Iraq, he added at the time.
Various committees that are part of the Saudi-Iraqi Coordination Council were also in Baghdad for talks on economic and political agreements. The council is expected to hold its fourth meeting soon.
Saudi Ambassador to Iraq Abdulaziz Al-Shammari said Sunday’s talks focused on investment in energy, the petrochemical industry, agriculture, water and health.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said that the upcoming two days will witness a series of meetings that will tackle partnership and cooperation between Riyadh and Baghdad.
The delegation includes Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef, Minister of Transport Saleh bin Nasser al-Jasser, Governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority Ahmed Abdulkarim Alkholifey, Governor of the Saudi General Authority of Foreign Trade (GAFT) Abdulrahman bin Ahmed bin Hamdan Al-Harbi and several representatives of ministries and companies.
