BAGHDAD, Aug 9 (NNN-NINA) – Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, will pay an official visit to the U.S. to meet with U.S. President Trump, on Aug 20, for talks on bilateral ties and cooperation in various fields.
Al-Kadhimi would head a government delegation, which came at an invitation from the United States, said a statement by the Premier’s office.
The visit will include discussing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as, bilateral relations and means to enhance cooperation in the fields of security, energy, economy, and investment.
Relations between Baghdad and Washington witnessed a tension since Jan 3, when a U.S. drone struck a convoy at Baghdad airport, which killed Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraq’s paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces.
However, on June 11, U.S. and Iraqi officials launched a strategic dialogue session via video conference, in which the United States pledged to continue reducing its forces in Iraq and confirmed that it does not seek permanent military presence in the country.
More than 5,000 U.S. troops are deployed in Iraq, to support the Iraqi forces in the battles against the Daesh militants, mainly for training and advisory purposes.
