Sudani visits Sisi in Egypt to bolster ties, encourage business

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Tuesday visited Egypt, where he emphasized a "deep and strategic relationship" during a meeting with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and he encouraged Egyptian businessmen to invest in Baghdad.

The premier, who was received at the Alamein Presidential Palace, "reiterated Iraq's commitment to collaborating with Egyptian companies, especially in the areas of housing, agriculture, and water management," according to a statement from Sudani’s office.

Sudani also was received by his Egyptian counterpart, Mustafa Madbouly, during the meeting in al-Alamein city.

Sisi expressed "full support for Iraq’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity," and affirmed Egypt's backing for Iraq's efforts to achieve stability, security, and development, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.

During Sudani’s meeting with the Egyptian businessmen, he emphasized that the projects of major Egyptian investors in Iraq are nearing implementation. 

“[T]he doors are open for Egyptian business leaders and companies, whose presence in Iraq is important to us, due to their successful experiences,” the PM’s office said.

 

Iraq and Egypt share strong relations. Several tripartite meetings have been held between Iraq, Egypt, and Jordan in Baghdad since 2021, during which they have discussed cooperation in the fields of security, military, and intelligence.

The three countries agreed on closer economic cooperation in March 2019, when the first summit was held in Cairo.

“The Egyptian business leaders and companies expressed their readiness to work in Iraq across various sectors,” Sudani’s office said. “They also discussed the potential for promising partnerships between the private sectors of Iraq and Egypt.”

In June 2023, Sudani led a high-level delegation to Cairo, resulting in the signing of several memorandums of understanding covering finance, trade, tourism, and other fields.

Iraq has sent numerous batches of aid to the Gaza Strip through the enclave’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt. 

After concluding his visit to Egypt, Sudani is also set to visit Tunisia.