Iraqi PM al-Sudani meets Italian ambassador in Baghdad to discuss bilateral ties

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani met on Sunday with Italy's ambassador to Baghdad, Nicolo Fontana, to discuss bilateral relations and ways to expand cooperation across multiple sectors, the Prime Minister's press office said. During the meeting, al-Sudani outlined Iraq's goal of pursuing economic opening with Italy and other European Union countries, saying he wanted to draw on the advanced technology of Italian companies in energy, agriculture and industry. Al-Sudani repeated his call for Italian firms to take part in Iraq's broader development drive, the statement added. He did not specify which companies or projects were under discussion. No further details on concrete agreements or timelines were provided. Ambassador Fontana, for his part, reiterated the Italian government's commitment to strengthening bilateral ties in all areas of joint work in a way that serves the interests of both countries, according to the press office. The two sides did not announce specific measures following the talks.