LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was to meet his Iraqi counterpart Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Tuesday for talks on trade, security and migration, in a visit hailed as a "new era" in ties.
A "strategic partnership" to be signed during the trip would consolidate cooperation and be "one of the most important steps in relations between Iraq and the United Kingdom, representing the start of a new era", Sudani said during the flight from Baghdad.
Sudani first met on Tuesday with the UK's head of state King Charles, before meeting Starmer at Downing Street. The visit will see the start of talks on a returns agreement for Iraqi irregular migrants to the UK, Starmer's office said. The leaders will also unveil a £12.3 billion export package to boost opportunities for British businesses, it added. Starmer said the trip "marks a new era in UK-Iraq cooperation, which will deliver mutual benefits from trade to defence, as we continue to work together towards stability in the wider region". — AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
