SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi discussed strengthening bilateral ties between Iraq and Saudi Arabia during a meeting with Saudi Ambassador to Iraq Abdulaziz al-Shamari in Baghdad on Monday, according the premier’s office.
Kadhimi’s office said in a statement that Kadhimi and Shamari discussed “ways to enhance joint cooperation between Baghdad and Riyadh”.
“They also discussed the activation of trade exchange between the two countries,” the prime minister’s office added.
The meeting came after recent meetings of the Iraqi-Saudi Coordination Council, which resulted in a number of agreements in various fields and sectors.
In November, Iraq and Saudi Arabia also reopened the Arar border crossing for trade exchange. Arar has been closed since 1990 after the two countries cut ties following Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait.
The Saudi-Iraqi rapprochement extends back to 2015, when Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy in Baghdad following a 25-year break.
In July Saudi Arabia and Iraq signed investment agreements on energy and sports.
