On Wednesday, Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced that he will participate in a summit in Saudi Arabia next week, according to a statement from his office.
The summit aims to discuss a variety of topics including energy and environmental challenges.
Kadhimi has accepted an invitation from Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud to partake in the summit, which will also be attended by leaders of Egypt, Jordan, and the United States, according to the statement.
US President Joe Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday, kick-starting a four-day tour to the Middle East that will also see him visit Saudi Arabia on Friday where he is expected to also attend the summit.
"When U.S. President Joe Biden comes to the Middle East this week, he will be arriving in a region facing numerous challenges, from terrorism to food insecurity and climate change. But the Middle East is also a region that is increasingly facing those challenges together under a group of leaders pursuing positive change," wrote Kadhimi in an opinion piece for Foreign Policy, an American publication, on Wednesday.
The topics of energy, food security, and environmental challenges will be discussed, as well as outlining the steps needed for cooperation between countries of the region to resolve crucial issues, according to the statement from Kadhimi’s office, adding that the summit will be conducted “early next week” without specifying the day.
The statement added that Iraq seeks to continue its commitment to developing diplomatic relations, and maintaining a balance when it comes to regional alliances.
Washington has lobbied Middle East oil giants and OPEC members to increase oil output in recent months, in order to curb international reliance on Russian energy in response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Iraq, Egypt, and Jordan also share strong ties. The countries have held tripartite meetings over the last year, aimed at strengthening cooperation in the gas and electricity sector.
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