Given the entangled state of Middle East geopolitics, Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani will arrive in the United Kingdom this Monday on a visit of immense importance. The visit is expected to be filled with missions where Baghdad and London are going to work on strengthening ties as tension ebbs and flows against the Kurdistan Regional Government on key issues like sharing oil revenues and salaries of civil servants.
As the Prime Minister’s Office on Media confirmed hereby, this visit has been timed strategically to address all aspects of Iraq-UK bilateral relations. It has a high agenda to discuss the intensive issues that involve enhancement of economic cooperation, further strengthening security cooperation as well as deep cultural exchanges. This comprehensiveness is at the core of shared aspirations toward a strong and long-lasting partnership that extends beyond the narrow limits of traditional diplomatic interaction.
The Iraqi Prime Minister will meet with representatives of the British political and economic élite. Al-Sudani will also visit a royal audience with King Charles III in what could be the most suitable avenue for restating the historical and cultural ties between the two countries. Another major meeting would be among the Prime Minister of the UK, Mr. Keir Starmer, and Al-Sudani, on how to build a cooperative environment that would bring about primitive regional economic advance and peace.
He is also scheduled to meet with many top Britons, from high-level officials to business leaders, and nullifies research institutions. The trips will include initiatives for academic partnerships and policy dialogues that are to be critically important in addressing pressing bilateral issues for both countries and in discovering creative ways of moving forward. Such engagements take on special significance when Iraq is seeking the path to recovery and stability while looking towards foreign expertise and investment for its developmental trajectory.
Another aspect that illuminates Al-Sudani’s approach to his foreign policy was his choice to publish an op-ed-The Telegraph, the evening before his departure. In that op-ed, he depicted a partnership between Britain and Iraq as bright and convincing, in which he underscored that Iraq is now on the fast lane toward increased stability after years of trouble. He eloquently called for enhanced international support to confront challenges that deeply impact the Middle East, notably the evolving political landscape in Syria.
His comprehensive vision also highlighted the importance of guarding the rights and diversity of Syria’s minorities, recognizing the profound interconnectedness of Middle Eastern nations and the regional ripple effects of domestic sociopolitical developments.
The background behind the visit can be viewed as rather unfriendly as Al-Sudani has troubled relations with the KRG. The Iraqi government is in a very sensitive air with the Kurdistan region over the sharing of oil revenues and timely payment of the civil servants’ salaries. So long as these domestic issues continue, the PM’s recent trip to the United Kingdom is part of a larger effort to build external support and investment that could have secondary effects on the domestic economy.
This will particularly be of concern to anyone interested in the impacts of Al-Sudani’s visit for the relation between Iraq and UK. These engagements formed cooperation and interaction may in fact help direct the International Relations strategy of Iraq and set a precendent for its foreign policy pattern.
When the first Iraqi, Al-Sudani arrives, there is a reason for an increased amount of hope for the development of the relations between Iraq and the UK. The commitment to economic partnership, security, and cultural engagement is a multipronged diplomatic strategy that is intended toward fostering a positive future in Iraq and the region.
The outcome of this visit may set the tone for relationships between these two countries in future diplomacy and its impact will not be limited only to these two countries, but for the entire stability and better economic co-ordination in the region.
