RIYADH: Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday and held talks with King Salman on relations between the two countries.
During their talks, the king said he was keen to enhance cooperation between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, SPA reported. Abdul-Mahdi said he was hoping to develop “areas of bilateral cooperation.”
Abdul-Mahdi also met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, his office said on Thursday, a day after his first official visit to the kingdom which has been wooing Baghdad to stem the influence of Tehran.
Abdul-Mahdi’s meeting with the crown prince came after he met King Salman on Wednesday.
UPDATE: As he met King Salman, Iraqi PM Adel Abdul-Mahdi stressed that his visit to #SaudiArabia symbolizes the Iraqi government's aim to bolster ties with the Kingdom. https://t.co/kCVPQDvcc2 pic.twitter.com/DZ2ANl2Rr6
— Arab News (@arabnews) April 17, 2019
His visit to the Kingdom “symbolizes the Iraqi government's vision in aiming to bolster ties with the Kingdom in all fields,” the Iraqi prime minister said in a statement on his Facebook account.
The two countries signed 12 agreements and memorandums of understanding between their various ministries. The deals covered many areas including energy, education, culture and political consultation.
Abdul-Mahdi was met at King Khalid International Airport by the Governor of the Riyadh Region Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, SPA reported.
#Iraq PM Adel Abdul-Mahdi arrived in #Riyadh on Wednesday, where he was received by the Riyadh Governor Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulazizhttps://t.co/kCVPQDvcc2 pic.twitter.com/WsId2xwW7y
— Arab News (@arabnews) April 17, 2019
The visit comes as ties continue to improve between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
A Saudi Arabian delegation visited Iraq earlier this month, when a new consulate in Baghdad was opened and $1 billion in loans for development projects in Iraq was announced.
