On Saturday, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid came in Iran for the first time since entering office. The key issues on the agenda are climate change and sharing water resources.
In order to address enhancing trade ties between Baghdad and Tehran as well as water and climate change, Rashid is leading a high-level delegation that also includes the foreign, water resources, and energy ministers as well as the national security advisor.
The neighbours share a number of rivers, many of which Iran has blocked in an effort to combat its water deficit issues, but this has dried up the riverbeds of Iraq downriver.
According to a statement from Rashid’s office, “the visit is in response to an official invitation from Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.”
In a phone call on Monday, Fuad Hussein, the foreign minister of Iraq, informed Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the foreign minister of Iran, about Rashid’s visit.
Iran and Iraq are closely connected. Tehran recently expressed gratitude to Baghdad for holding five rounds of negotiations and serving as a crucial middleman in the mending of diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia seven years after they had been severed.
Furthermore, there are strong economic ties between the two nations. Iraq imports Iranian energy, including electricity and natural gas, as well as agricultural items, engineering services, building supplies, and other goods for which Baghdad has gotten sanctions waivers from Washington.
Since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, Tehran has also exerted significant influence on Baghdad’s politics and security, providing military and financial support to numerous armed groups operating in Iraq.
