Egypt and Iraq try to deepen their relations

CAIRO (AP) — Iraq’s prime minister visited Egypt on Sunday and met with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sissi as the two countries seek to deepen relations and strengthen their alliance with Jordan.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani landed in the Egyptian capital and was received at the airport by his Egyptian counterpart, Mustafa Madbouly. Al-Sudani and Madbouly reviewed a guard of honor and the marching bands sang their respective national anthems.

The Iraqi prime minister later met el-Sisi at the presidential palace in Cairo where they discussed economic and security cooperation, Egyptian presidential spokesman Ahmed Fahmy said.

Fahmi said in a statement that the two countries discussed regional issues, including cooperation with Jordan. The text does not give further details.

The talks were attended by the foreign and trade ministers of both nations, Fahmi said.

It is al-Sudani’s first visit to Cairo since his cabinet was approved by the Iraqi parliament in October, ending a year-long political stalemate. Al-Sudani’s predecessor, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, had established good relations with el-Sissi and King Abdullah II of Jordan.

El-Sisi visited Baghdad in June 2021, becoming the first Egyptian head of state to visit Iraq since the 1990s, when the countries severed ties following Iraqi dictator Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait. Hussein.

Egypt, Iraq and Jordan have strengthened their relationship and their leaders have held five summits since 2019, most recently at the Dead Sea in Jordan in December, where they discussed ways to implement strategic tripartite agreements .