ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Monday left Baghdad on an official visit to the United Kingdom, where he is set to meet King Charles III, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and senior British officials.

“The visit to London reflects my government’s commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership between Iraq and the United Kingdom,” Sudani said in a press conference before departing for London.

The visit comes after a meeting with the British ambassador to Iraq, Stephen Hitchen, in late December, where preparations for his visit to the UK were discussed after an official invitation. 

Sudani said his visitation aimed to strengthen bilateral relations between London and Baghdad to help contribute to the development of Iraq, including the diversification of its sources of income while providing the UK with expansive opportunities in a promising market.

“We will continue to encourage further British investment in oil and gas as well as in renewable energy projects,” the Iraqi premier said, adding that they aim to strengthen the trade relationship that has seen significant growth in recent years over the past two years.

Sudani was initially set to visit London in early October, however, the visit was then delayed with his media office citing the regional developments at the time.

The visit now comes just days after Sudani concluded a one-day visit to Tehran, where he met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The UK has been a strong ally of Iraq in the war against the Islamic State (ISIS). British forces were part of the US-led global coalition that was deployed to Iraq at the request of the Iraqi government in 2014 to fight ISIS, which had then overrun large swathes of Iraqi territory in the north and west of the country.