Iraqi PM Ziyadi arrives in Washington for economic and energy talks

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Ziyadi arrived in Washington on Monday for his first visit, accompanied by a high-level government and economic delegation, government spokesman Haidar Abboud said. Abboud said the agenda centers on economic and investment relations, particularly in oil, gas, energy, technology and infrastructure. He added that Iraq aims to attract American companies to expand production capacity and diversify energy exports, with talks expected to cover memorandums of understanding and strategic agreements for a joint Iraq–U.S. development and energy fund. Mustansiriya University political science professor Issam al-Fayli said the visit confirms the nature of relations with Washington, noting that the Ziyadi government has secured U.S. support by focusing on fighting corruption and addressing the issue of non-state weapons. Fayli described the proposed joint fund, backed by Iraq's 500 million barrels of oil reserves, as an effort to move the relationship beyond protocol into economic partnership. Hikma Movement official Hassan Fedam said regional U.S.–Iran tensions will be on the agenda, but cautioned that expecting the visit alone to resolve that conflict would be unrealistic. The delegation will also discuss the future of the U.S. presence in Iraq following the end of the international coalition mission in late September.