Iraqi PM says agreements with US companies reflect trust, outlines open-door policy

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Fayaz al-Ziyadi said agreements recently signed with American companies are the product of negotiation and mutual trust, speaking on Tuesday at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce conference in the U.S. capital. Addressing representatives of U.S. firms, Ziyadi said the deals are not merely texts on paper but the outcome of visits and confidence-building, and outlined an "open-door" policy under which he expects companies to come forward with their work plans and requirements. The prime minister added that individual ministries would also be accessible to companies within their respective sectoral mandates. The same day, a signing ceremony held on the sidelines of the conference produced agreements and memoranda of understanding valued at roughly $60 billion, attended by several Iraqi ministers and government advisers alongside company representatives. The agreements cover investment, energy, oil transport and the construction of new pipelines, according to details released at the event. No further information on individual contracts or timelines was immediately available.