SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for talks with senior officials in Riyadh.
Kadhimi said in a tweet that Iraq and Saudi Arabia would strengthen bilateral ties and enhance regional cooperation.
“Today, we embark on a visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to strengthen our bilateral ties and enhance regional cooperation,” Kadhimi said in a tweet.
“We will work on serving our peoples’ interests, achieving stability and advancing developmental values based on what binds us,” he added.
Kadhimi planned to visit Saudi Arabia in July, but it was postponed after the hospitalization of King Salman.
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.
*This story was updated at 02:10 p.m. EBL time
