ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani arrived on Wednesday to Iraq to hold talks with the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to consolidate bilateral relations with Qatar.
Thani met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in Baghdad on Wednesday morning, expressing Qatar's willingness to support Iraq in various fields and inviting Kadhimi to visit Doha, according to state media.
The meeting discussed ways of calming the tense situation in the region, in addition to expanding investment between the two countries.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein later held a press conference with his Qatari counterpart, during which Thani announced his ministry's work to activate the Iraqi-Qatari joint committee on economic cooperation.
The Qatari Foreign Minister arrived in Erbil on Wednesday evening, where he will meet with the President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani to discuss cooperation between the two sides, including preparations for a Qatari consulate in Erbil.
In September 2019, Qatari Ambassador to Baghdad Khalid Hamad al-Sality told Barzani his country was hoping to open a consulate in the Kurdistan Region capital.
Thani previously travelled to Erbil in January 2020, when the FM praised the Kurdistan Region’s role in geopolitics and called for a boost in bilateral relations and trade.
The Qatari official’s visit to Iraq suggests a larger move by Kadhimi to forge closer ties with other Middle Eastern states, moving away from Iran.
A joint summit between Egypt, Jordan and Iraq will soon be held in Baghdad, Iraqi state media has said.
Ministerial talks have begun between Egypt, Jordan and Iraq in preparation for the summit, state media quoted the Council of Ministers as saying on Wednesday.
Closer ties between the three countries have been on the cards for several years.
The head of the council, Iraqi Minister of Planning Khaled Battal al-Najm, said Iraq is hoping to apply memorandums with understanding previously signed with Cairo and Amman.
