ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The chief of staff of the Kurdistan Region’s president will accompany Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on his visit to the United States on Monday. They are scheduled to meet with US President Barack Obama and many other world leaders, an Iraqi government official told Rudaw.
“Dr. Fuad Hussein, chief of staff to the Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani will accompany Abadi to the USA. It was initially decided that Hoshyar Zebari, finance minister, would accompany the delegation, but he was sorry he was unable to attend,” Saad Hadithi, a spokesperson for the Iraqi government, told Rudaw.
The purpose of the visit to America “is to take part in the annual UN meeting and to hold other meetings with world leaders about immigrant issues,” Hadithi explained.
The September 19 meeting comes amid preparations to seize control of Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, from Islamic State (ISIS) militants.
Hadithi said Obama and Abadi are expected to discuss recent military developments against ISIS on the ground, among other issues in a meeting Monday evening.
The White House confirmed Obama will meet with Abadi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. "The two leaders will have a chance to check in on the counter-ISIL [ISIS] campaign. Also the campaign to liberate Mosul," White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said on September 16.
In addition to Obama, Abadi is scheduled to meet "the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Francois Hollande, president of France, and the NATO leader on the sidelines of the UN meetings,” Hadithi detailed.
Abadi will also meet with other presidents from the Middle East, including “the Iranian president, the King of Jordan,” Hadithi added, as well as the “head of the World Bank.”
The United States deployed an additional 400 troops to Iraq earlier this month as local forces prepare for an assault on Mosul.
