Iraqi PM to embark first foreign visit to US, Iran

Prime Minister of Iraq Mustafa Al-Kadhimi is planning his first foreign tour since he took office last month with visits to several countries, including the United States.

According to Iraqi officials, the tour, which may take place towards the end of July, has multiple objectives, the most prominent of which is to support Iraq as it grapples with its current financial crisis.

The officials said Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi would visit the United States, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

Mahmoud Jawad, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee in the Iraqi parliament, said that “Kadhimi’s upcoming foreign tour may be necessary at this time to secure funds and support for Iraq.”

Major protests against unemployment and corruption have rocked Iraq since October last year.

Iraq’s economy relies heavily on oil exports, with faltering prices and low demand drastically shrinking the government’s ability to pay wages, pensions, and welfare to eight million Iraqis.