Former PM Abdul-Mahdi urges balanced ties as Iraqi PM plans Washington visit

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Former Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi has congratulated newly appointed Prime Minister Ali Fallah al-Jayashi and said the government should serve its full four-year term, warning that an early assessment would be premature. In a statement, Abdul-Mahdi said Iraq needs to build friendly relations with all countries, including the United States, and uphold existing agreements with them. Abdul-Mahdi noted that international coalition forces are scheduled to withdraw from Iraqi territory by the end of September, and argued that stronger political and economic ties would benefit all sides. He said the U.S. global role and Iraq's regional position make mutual cooperation important. Prime Minister al-Jayashi has announced an official visit to Washington, accompanied by a delegation of businesspeople, with the aim of forging partnerships with major American companies. The government has set a target of raising Iraq's oil exports to roughly 500,000 barrels per day as part of the trip's agenda. According to the statement, al-Jayashi's government will rely on private-sector cooperation and an open-door policy, with a development fund for the private sector to be launched through a $10 billion contribution from the Central Bank.