Exclusive: 25+ figures set to accompany PM Al-Zaidi to Washington – Shafaq News

Shafaq
News- Baghdad

Iraqi
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi will travel to Washington on Monday with a
wide-ranging delegation for talks on security cooperation, energy, economic
ties and investment opportunities between Iraq and the United States, Shafaq
News learned on Sunday.

The
delegation includes Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, Finance Minister Faleh
al-Sari, Oil Minister Basim Mohammed Khudair, Electricity Minister Ali Saadi
Wahib and Trade Minister Mustafa Nizar Jumaa.

It also
includes lawmaker Amer al-Fayez, chairman of parliament’s Foreign Relations
Committee; lawmaker Harem Kamal, chairman of the Oil and Gas Committee; and
parliament member Mohammed Tamim. Cabinet Secretary-General Hamid al-Ghazi will
also join the visit.

Among the
other officials traveling with the prime minister are Central Bank Governor
Nizar Nasser, National Security Adviser Qasim al-Aboudi, Chairman of the Prime
Minister’s Advisory Board Yousif Khalaf Yousif, Deputy Finance Minister Ali
Karim Hussein and Defense Ministry Secretary-General Lieutenant General Ahmed
Salim Bahjat.

The
delegation further includes Communications and Media Commission Chairman Baligh
Mithqal Abu Kulal, the prime minister’s foreign relations adviser Farhad
Alaeddin, Director-General of International Relations at the Prime Minister’s
Office Ambassador Krikor Bakram Der Hakobian, political adviser Abbas al-Amiri,
and financial and banking adviser Saleh Mahmoud Salman.

Al-Zaidi’s
office director and adviser Azhhar Hussein Saleh, along with Ambassador
Hassanein Rashid al-Sheikh, head of the Prime Minister’s Office Coordination
and Protocol Department, will also participate in the visit.

Other
members of the delegation include Iraqi Media Network Chairman Abdul Karim
Hamadi Abdul Sadah, Foreign Ministry Americas Department Director Ambassador
Nizar al-Hakim, Prime Minister’s adviser Bakar Asaad Ali, media adviser Ali
Sabah Karim Razuqi, Prime Minister’s Media Office Director Abdul Zahra
al-Hindawi and media coordinator Adel Nima Najm.

An
informed source previously told Shafaq News that the talks will cover
investment agreements, energy projects, bilateral security, the future of US
forces in Iraq, and efforts to bring armed factions under state control.

Read more: Iraq’s al-Zaidi rebalances Iran ties before Washington visit