Iraq Prime Minister To Meet Trump In Washington Next Week

Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi will travel on Monday to the United States to meet President Donald Trump in his first international visit since taking office, his government spokesperson said.

Zaidi, who came to power this year with Trump's blessing, assumed office amid growing US pressure on Baghdad to disarm pro-Iran armed groups that have frequently targeted US facilities in Iraq.

During his one-week trip to Washington, Zaidi hopes to attract US investment to the country, which urgently needs to boost its economy, especially after significant revenue losses caused by the halt in oil exports caused by the Middle East war.

The Iraqi premier is "heading to Washington on Monday, leading a high-level delegation, at the invitation of the US president", government spokesperson Haidar al-Aboudi said Sunday.

It is still unclear when Zaidi will meet Trump.

The talks will focus on "strengthening economic relations and investments", especially in the oil and power sectors, he added.

The state's monopoly on arms is a necessary requirement to "ensure internal stability... and attract investments capable of boosting" the economy, Aboudi said.

Zaidi has vowed to ensure pro-Iran armed groups hand over their weapons, but he is facing pushback from some powerful factions.

Oil-rich Iraq has long walked a tightrope between the competing influences of its allies, neighbouring Iran and the United States.

It has been trying to move past decades of war and unrest, but it still suffers from poor infrastructure, failing public services, mismanagement and endemic corruption.

In recent months, Iraq has signed several deals with US companies in the oil sector.

In the US, Zaidi is expected to sign several more agreements, including a deal to establish a fund into which Iraq will deposit half a million barrels of oil per day in exchange for boosting the country's electricity supply.

In a show of support for Zaidi's administration, the US has resumed cash shipments for Iraq's oil revenue, which have been handled from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York since 2003.

Washington had suspended the financial shipments earlier this year as it piled pressure on Baghdad to disarm Iran-backed armed groups.

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