Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi will travel on Monday to the United States to meet President Donald Trump in his first international visit since taking office, his government spokesperson said. Zaidi, who came to power this year with Trump's blessing, assumed office amid growing US pressure on Baghdad to disarm pro-Iran armed groups that have frequently targeted US facilities in Iraq. In Washington, Zaidi hopes to attract US investments to the country, which urgently needs to boost its economy, especially after significant revenue losses caused by the halt in oil exports during the Middle East war, AFP reported. Zaidi is "heading to Washington on Monday, leading a high-level delegation, at the invitation of the US president", government spokesperson Haidar al-Aboudi said. The talks will focus on "strengthening economic relations and investments", especially in the oil and power sectors, he added. The state's monopoly on arms is a necessary requirement to "ensure internal stability... and attract investments capable of boosting" the economy, Aboudi said. Zaidi has vowed to ensure pro-Iran armed groups hand over their weapons, but he is facing pushback from some powerful factions. In recent months, Iraq has signed several deals with US companies in the oil sector. During his one-week trip to Washington, Zaidi is expected to sign several more agreements, including a deal to establish a fund into which Iraq will deposit half a million barrels of oil per day in exchange for boosting the country's electricity supply.
